The G20 Summit, or Group of 20, is an annual event where the European Union (EU), African Union (AU), and 19 other nations meet to discuss global economic and political issues. This year, the summit was held at India’s capital, New Delhi. The group was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis. Over the years, the focus of G20 has expanded to include more relevant topics, including climate change and the Russo-Ukrainian War. This year, India hosted the event and set the discussion agenda for the summit.
This year’s G20 has led to many new achievements and important discussions. Firstly, the AU, through a unanimous joint declaration, has become a permanent member of the G20. Another joint declaration condemned “human suffering and adverse repercussions of the conflict in Ukraine on global food and energy security”. However, this was done without criticizing Russia directly. This was a “softer” version of the stance G20 nations held last year, where they directly condemned Russia for the war and demanded it withdraw from Ukraine. The US, India, and Saudi Arabia announced plans to set up rail and ports links between the Middle East and South Asia, which is being heavily supported by US president Joe Biden. There has also been progress made on the climate change issue, with leaders agreeing to attempt to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030. The aforementioned plans are rather ambitious, however, and many think funding for these projects was overlooked.
This summit was the perfect opportunity for India to be seen as an influential world power. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used this opportunity to help revitalize India’s economy through investment and trade. Additionally, it helps his chances for the upcoming Indian elections, as this summit provided him with another campaigning platform. He also replaced the name India with “Bharat” on the placard used to identify him at the conference, which has resulted in mixed opinions from the public.
G20 2023 covered many issues prevalent in today’s society, from climate change to representation to war. It also increased Indian nationalism and magnified India’s image across the globe. India is now the world’s most populous country, which gives it real potential to become a world superpower. This year, the summit has made monumental progress in representing many smaller yet significant nations from every continent. It is the perfect example for any such future endeavors to pull the world together to solve problems.
