A time for global south in G20

With developing countries poised to hold the presidency of G20 for the next three years, India has a unique opportunity to redefine and refocus the G20 agenda to reflect interests and priorities of the Global South. Under India’s presidency, India is looking to create mechanisms that strengthen the capacity of developing countries to tackle health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, says Anil Wadhwa.
 
The baton of the G20 presidency has been passed on to India. Collectively, the G20 nations have delivered important results in relieving debt burdens, rationalising international taxation, capital and liquidity requirements for banks, recapitalisation of the IMF, stabilising the financial situation during the 2008 global financial crisis, creating a Debt Service Suspension Initiative, ensuring overall macroeconomic stability.
Over the years, the G20 has also worked to widen its agenda to include issues like corruption, terror financing, jobs and social security, drug trafficking, migration, agriculture and food security, health and climate change. Building on these achievements, India is geared up to deliver an inclusive, ambitious and action-oriented presidency.
The world faces a geopolitical crisis due to the conflict in Ukraine. There is the challenge of global breakdowns in supply chains, the crisis of climate finance and climate action, and seventy countries in the world are facing a debt crisis. 200 million people in the world have gone below the poverty line while 75 million people have lost their jobs.
New Initiatives
India has already outlined a vision of shaping a new paradigm of human- centric globalisation. According to Prime Minister Modi, this is to be achieved by encouraging sustainable and environment-friendly lifestyles, depoliticising the global supply of food, fertilisers, and medical products to avoid humanitarian crises, and encouraging an honest conversation on mitigating risks posed by weapons of mass destruction which will contribute to global security.
But most importantly, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, India is emphasising the role of technology in deciding India’s geopolitical positioning as it would play a key role in striking technological and strategic alliances in a multi polar world.
As Prime Minister Modi has said, all living beings and inanimate objects are composed of the five basic elements of earth, water, fire, air and space. India’s G20 presidency will promote this universal sense of oneness, which is embodied in the theme – “One Earth, One Family, One Future” and the Vedantic doctrine of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the world is one family.
India has identified some priority issues – growth and prosperity, resilient global supply chains, small and medium enterprises, logistics, reforms in multilateral institutions like WTO, IMF and World Bank and women–led development under its G 20 presidency.
India is expected to take the lead in setting up new initiatives on disaster risk and resilience and Start Up 20.
India is likely to propose a common digital platform for ease of cross-border trade, a legal aid system for developing countries for dispute settlement in WTO, ways to eliminate distortionary non- tariff measures for developing countries and LDCs, and a framework to address crucial issues at the WTO in clearly defined circumstances like the Covid 19 pandemic.
India has a critical role in ensuring global health security and the production and distribution of vaccines and can act as a credible voice of the developing world on the issue of food security, Sustainable Development Goals and climate finance.
It has taken the lead in WTO with South Africa for a waiver from intellectual property protections of Covid-19-related medical technologies as well as related equipment.
India is likely to propose a common digital platform for ease of cross-border trade, a legal aid system for developing countries for dispute settlement in WTO, ways to eliminate distortion non-tariff measures for developing countries and LDCs, and a framework to address crucial issues at the WTO.
South-South Agenda
Citizens of most developing countries do not have any kind of digital identity. Almost 2 billion people do not have bank accounts and around 130 countries do not have fast payment mechanisms.
As G20 Chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla notes “India’s experience has shown that if digital architecture is made widely accessible, it can bring about socio- economic transformation. The use of digital technologies, if used judiciously, can become a force multiplier in the fight against poverty”.
India’s success with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Direct Benefits Transfer and Aadhar authentication in welfare schemes has growing relevance to the developing world.
The use of the CoWIN platform has enhanced vaccine accessibility and equity. Digital India could provide a technological model for global solutions of development and welfare at a low cost, which in turn will facilitate growth. The principle of “data for development” will therefore be an integral part of the overall theme of India’s tenure.
Under its presidency, India is determined to create mechanisms that strengthen the capacity of developing countries to tackle health crises such as the Covid 19 pandemic. India will work with the developing world to create a holistic, global health architecture that can respond better to future health crises.
India will hope to emerge from its G20 presidency as a globalagenda setter, a driver of inclusive global growth for global good, and a constructive consensus maker.
The well-developed and efficiently functional Development Promotion Programmed of India in Africa and Asia, the Pacific as well as Latin America, including ITEC which enhances education, skilling and specialisation, can be used to promote a South-South Agenda and create constituencies for India in these countries.
India’s G20 presidency will represent the most vulnerable in the world and will aim to enhance inclusivity and intra-South economic integration.
India has a critical role in ensuring global health security and the production and distribution of vaccines and can act as a credible voice of the developing world on the issue of food security, Sustainable Development Goals and climate finance.
Anil Wadhwa was Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and has served as Ambassador to Poland, Oman, Thailand and Italy. Currently, he is a Distinguished Fellow with the New Delhi-based Vivekananda International Foundation.

By Anil Wadhwa
(Latest Update August 23, 2023)