India has emerged as voice of Global South: Sherpa Amitabh Kant

NEW DELHI: India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant has underscored the “unique Indian narrative,” India has set during its presidency of the G20 Summit, saying India “truly emerged as the voice of the Global South”. In a short video message, shared on X, by the official handle of India’s G20 Presidency, Kant said, “So India has built a unique Indian narrative during its G20 presidency.”

“India has truly emerged as the voice of the Global South during its G20 presidency and this is the first time that four emerging markets, one after another Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa will hold the G20 presidency and therefore it gives a very massive opportunity to bring all the critical issues of developing countries centre stage, as India has done, and carry them vigorously forward for implementation,” said Kant in the short video message.

In the video, India’s G20 Sherpa highlighted the issues India focused on during its presidency of the summit like digital public infrastructure, principles of lifestyle for sustainability, traditional medicine, millets, global biofuel and many more. He also mentioned how India, in contrast to other countries, has organised different meetings of the G20 Summit in different states and cities.

However, according to Kant, one of the biggest achievements of India's presidency was its focus on women empowerment and gender equality. Kant said that among India’s most critical ones was its focus on digital public infrastructure.

“Then there's been a lot of focus on traditional medicine. The Health Ministry and the G20 relating to health have focused on the traditional medicine sector in a big way,” he said. India’s G20 Sherpa also said that during the summit, there was a focus on new Group Startup 20, the Disaster Risks Resilience, which “opened the door for discussion on all aspects relating to disasters and how to handle them”.

The Indian narrative also “revolved around Millets,” which was a part of every single meal that was served, said Kant adding, “There was a huge emphasis on focus on One district-One product, which formed a part of our gifts which were given to the visitors who came to India”.

He also said that India's G20 has been “very different from other countries”. “In most G20 countries, when they take over the presidency, the events are held in either one city or two cities. In sharp contrast to this, the Prime Minister's emphasis has been that the G20 should be held in every state of India.

So G20 has been held in every state, but over 60 cities of India,” Kant said. Kant noted one of the biggest achievements of India's presidency was its emphasis on women empowerment and gender equality.

“I think we've laid a massive emphasis on gender equality by laying emphasis on bridging the digital divide, by laying emphasis on the role of women in climate change, by laying emphasis on greater labour force participation. I don't think any country has contributed so significantly to women and girls as India has done. And that has been a very key highlight of India's G20 presidency,” said Kant.

India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 last year. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi scheduled to be held on September 9-10 will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year.

The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom and the United States and the European Union.