India’s priorities for G20 presidency to benefit global south: Ex-diplomat

SRINAGAR: India has set priorities for its G20 Presidency which will benefit the global south, former diplomat J S Mukul said here on Monday.

India assumed the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022, to 30 November 2023.

“We don’t forget our friends in the global south. That’s why the prime minister held a virtual summit of 125 countries to set the agenda for India’s presidency. India, as the host, has invited organisations and countries from the global south. It shows the priorities,” he said in his keynote address at a G20 University Connect event organised by the Central University of Kashmir.

He said events had been scheduled in 50 cities of the country to showcase “Incredible India as the mother of democracy”.

According to the former ambassador to the Netherlands, the themes outlined by India for its presidency have green development and climate change mitigation at the top of the list.

“The global south needs technical support and finances to meet the challenges of climate change. The developed countries had agreed to pay USD 100 bn a year for mitigation of climate change. That would be one area where India would press,” he said.

Mukul said India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that adversity can also be dealt with positively.

“The CoWin app through which 2 billion vaccine doses were given and UPI payments were used. The pandemic has brought to fore the importance of IT and digital infrastructure,” he said.

Other areas of priority will be developed countries coming good on their commitment of spending 0.7 per cent of their GDP for sustainable development, food security especially in the global south, reform in multilateral institutions including the UN and gender equality, he added.

R R Bhatnagar, Advisor of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, said the G20 gives an opportunity to the union territory administration to showcase the tourism potential.

“Next month from 22nd May we have working group on tourism. As we all know tourism is major sector for J&K, it will be our opportunities to showcase J&K as a outstanding tourist destination which can match any destination in the world,” he said.

Bhatnagar said in J&K, there has been “a new dawn of peace, progress and growth”.

“It is a new opportunity for everybody to participate especially our youth who are going to be the leaders of tomorrow,” he added. (PTI)