Omkar Dattatray
It is no ordinary development that after successful conclusion of the tourism working group meeting in Kashmir, India is hosting another important meeting of the development ministers in Varanasi from June 11th to 13th. Prime minister Narendra Modi has addressed the meeting through video conferencing at the beginning of the meeting which was chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
India has thus hosted a three day meeting of development ministers of the G20 members nations in Varanasi which begun on Sunday that will focus on disruptions in global supply chains, food and energy security challenges and impact of climate change among other things and issues.
PM Modi has delivered a special video address at the beginning of the meeting which was chaired by EAM S. Jaishankar.
Around 200 delegates are participating in the meeting .India has hosted the meeting in its capacity of as the current chair of G20.
The G20 development ministers conclave follows the Voice of Global South Summit that was hosted by India in January ,and the decisions taken at the Varanasi meet will also contribute to the UN summit on sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s ) in September. In a statement the Ministry of external affairs said the Varanasi meeting is taking place amid mounting developmental challenges that have been further aggravated by economic slowdown, debt, distress ,impacts of climate change, growing poverty and inequality ,food and energy insecurity, global supply chain disruptions and geo political conflicts and tensions. “The G20 development ministerial meeting is an opportunity to collectively agree on actions for accelerating achievement of the SDG’S and foster synergies between the development ,environment and climate agendas while avoiding costly trade off that hold back progress for the developing countries, ” the MEA said.
The meeting consists of two main sessions -one on Multilateralism -collective Actions for Accelerating Progress towards SDGs and another on Green Development -A Life (Lifestyle for Environment) Approach.
The development ministers meeting was preceded by the fourth and final development working group meeting -(DWG) meeting which was held in Delhi from June 6 to 9.The DWG ,while building on the crucial work done by the previous G-20 presidencies has carried forward its mandate of enhancing G20’s contribution to accelerating progress towards SDG’s and strengthening G20 long term vision in this regard.
Cultural porgrammes, exhibitions and excursions have also been organized to provide the delegates a glimpse into rich culture and traditions of Varanasi ,one of the oldest cities in the world MEA said.
In Varanasi for smooth functioning of G20 traffic advisory will be in place from airport to meeting venue from June 11 to 13 June. The route from where the foreign delegates will pass traffic change will be affected and only ambulances and funeral processions will be allowed from these routes.
ADCP has appealed public to follow diversion during the meeting. India is hosting a three day G20 development ministers meeting with other member countries in UP’s Varanasi today from Sunday. The meeting is focusing on disruptions in global supply chain, food and energy security challenges and impact of climate change among other issues.
Varanasi has been decorated and is ready to welcome the development ministerial delegates from June 11 to 13.Before the conclave of second G20 development ministers will reached Varanasi and on 12th June all the delegates from the world will see and take part in Ganga Aarati through the medium of Cruz. On 11th June dinner was hosted to the foreign gusts to welcome them .Varanasi has been decorated with lights of different colors in honor to welcome the foreign delegates.
In the three days meeting the delegates the development delegates will discuss climate change ,food and energy security and other important issues. They will also deliberate on urban development and before this crucial meeting in Varanasi the agriculture meeting was held and hosted from April 17to 19. The delegates from 20 countries are attending the meeting and these are the development ministerial delegates.
They are discussing climate change and environment which are the big challenges of the 21st century and besides this they are deliberating on food and supply chains and energy security.
This 20 meeting of the development ministers of the 20 countries assumes special importance since the climate change and protection of environment are the measure challenges facing the world. This G20 development ministers meeting is very significant because it is going to discuss and deliberate on important issue of global climate change and environmental issues and will also discuss the food and energy security matters .It is pertinent to mention here that the climate change and environment protection are the two main challenges facing the world today and the meeting of development ministers of the 20 member states will deliberate and discuss urban development and climate change and environmental issues and thus this G20 meeting assumes special importance.
The meeting focuses on disruptions in global supply chain, food and energy security challenges and impact of climate change among other matters.G20 delegates arrived in Varanasi on June 11.
They were accorded a grand welcome at Varanasi airport, where musical instruments were played to welcome the delegates.
A meeting of development ministers of 20 countries is being held in Varanasi from 11th June to 13TH June .In this meeting ministers from G 20 countries have gathered and a brainstorm session on development has begun .The crucial G20 meeting is going to discuss the important global issues of climate change, environment conservation ,food and energy security and other important global issues.
In short this conclave of development ministers of 20 countries assumes special significance since the world is facing these issues which are being discussed and addressed by the crucial meeting of development ministers of 20 countries.
(The author is a
columnist,social and KP activist).