G20 Summit declaration will reflect voice of Global South: Amitabh Kant

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi leaders' declaration at the end of the G20 Summit will reflect the voice of Global South, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Friday and noted that accelerating SDGs, improving learning outcomes and nutrition have been critical for India's presidency.

Addressing a joint press conference here ahead of the G20 summit which begins on September 9, Amitabh Kant said green development, climate action, climate finance have also been among India’s priorities.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated that India's presidency should be inclusive, decisive, ambitious and action-oriented. "When India took over the G20 presidency in Bali, we were in the midst of a scenario of slowing growth and productivity worldwide...India felt that we should start our presidency with the theme of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'-the world is one family.

PM Modi said India's presidency should be inclusive, decisive, ambitious and action-oriented. We've lived up to his vision of being inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented and very decisive during our presidency," Amitabh Kant said.

"The second key priority for us was to have accelerated sustainable development goals because only 12 of the 169 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are on track and we are way behind the schedule. We are midway at the 2030 Action Point. But we are way behind. Therefore accelerating SDGs, improving learning outcomes, healthy outcomes, nutrition - all these were very critical for India's presidency," he added.

Amitabh Kant said there has also been a focus on the multilateral institutions in view of the needs of the 21st century.

"We wanted the world to take the lead on Green Development in the context of climate action and climate finance. There were several components of this which we wanted to drive and therefore, green development, climate action, climate finance were our third priority. Because both SDG and climate action require finance, particularly for developing and emerging markets in the global south. It was critical that we focus on multilateral institutions of the 21st century...," Amitabh Kant said.

"The New Delhi leaders' declaration that you will see post the Summit, you will see it as a Voice of Global South and the developing countries. No document in the world would have such a strong voice for the Global South and the developing countries," he added.

Addressing the press conference, Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance said that the focus and the vision of India G 20 presidency is to bring focus to the global discourse issues that could make a difference to people's lives." The G20 summit will be held on September 9 and 10 in the national capital.