At the Rio G20 Summit, India Flags Concerns of Global South
India cannot match China’s resources to woo less developed economies. But it has its own strengths.
At the 19th G-20 Summit at Rio in Brazil last week, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the hardships of the less developed economies of the world. While the G-20 groups together key developed and emerging economies, India has been voicing the problems faced by countries in the Global South at its summits and forums.
“Countries of the Global South are most adversely impacted by the food, fuel and fertilizer crisis caused by global conflicts,” Modi said at the G-20 Session on ‘Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty.’
“So our discussions can only be successful when we keep in mind the challenges and priorities of the Global South,” he said.
“And just as we amplified the voice of the Global South by granting permanent membership of G-20 to the African Union during the New Delhi Summit [in 2023], we will reform institutions of global governance,” Modi said.
Again, speaking at a session on Sustainable Development and Energy Transition, Modi underlined that “economic development is a priority for countries of the Global South, and in particular for Small Island Developing States. In the digital age, and given the growing influence of AI, the need for a balanced and appropriate energy mix becomes all the more important.”
“Therefore affordable and assured climate finance for energy transition in the Global South, has become even more important. It is also essential for developed countries to fulfill their commitments to provide technology and finance, in a timely manner,” he said.
India also signed onto the “Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty” launched at the Rio G-20 Leaders’ Summit that brings together 148 founding members, including 82 countries, the African Union, the European Union, 24 international organizations, 9 international financial institutions and 31 philanthropic and non-governmental organizations. The initiative aims to fast-track global efforts toward eradicating hunger and poverty which are key priorities under the SDGs.
Against the backdrop of uncertain recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges posed by the onset of climate-induced crises and conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine War and Israel’s invasion of Gaza, the theme of the Rio G-20 summit was “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.”
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