Free Trade and Concerted Action on Climate and SDG Outcomes, Digital Transformation and Women-led Development Key Priorities for India’s G20 Presidency: Amitabh Kant, G20 India Sherpa
India is hosting the G20 at a time when the world is facing complex and multiple geopolitical and economic challenges. The G0 presidency has come as an opportunity to make it inclusive, decisive, action oriented and ambitious, Mr Amitabh Kant, G20 India Sherpa, said today while addressing the session on Aligning Global Priorities at the B20 Summit India 2023. Focussing on the theme of R.A.I.S.E — Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative, Sustainable and Equitable Businesses — the event is being organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the B20 India Secretariat, from 25-27 August 2023 at New Delhi.
On aligning of global priorities, Mr Kant shared that India’s developmental philosophy rests on having a human centric approach, which is “one earth, one family and one future, and the key priority for India during its presidency is to push for strong, sustainable, inclusive and balanced growth for the world.” To achieve this, he outlined five key priorities — first, to push for growth with free trade; second, concerted action on climate change and financing; third, accelerating the pace of outcomes of sustainable development goals (SDGs); fourth, digital transformation; and, fifth, women-led development.
Mr Kant stressed that addressing critical developmental issues — such as climate financing ensuring progress on SDGs — requires substantial resources. He said that, as per forecasts, all growth in the coming decades is set to come from the Global South, primarily on account of its young demographic profile. Therefore, there is a need for resources to address the growth and development needs of the Global South and to build new approaches, institutions and financial instruments that would accelerate the growth of the Global South. India is ready to share its experiences in key areas such as use of digital tools and financial inclusion initiatives, he added.
Mr Kant highlighted the fact that the Hon’ble PM has put inclusion as the top priority for the B20, in which he has emphasized women-led development for global growth by bridging the digital divide, and better health and learning outcomes.
The philosophy of ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’ prioritizes both inclusive growth and sustainable development, enabling a human-centric approach and which along with making the G20 a people’s presidency, have been the key aspects of India’s G20 presidency, said Mr Kant.
25th August 2023
New Delhi