G20 Summit 2023, New Delhi

Quick Glance:

• India hosted the 18th Summit of the G20 from September 9 -10.
  
• African Union became the 21st member of G20 Summit.
  
• The theme of G20 Summit 2023 is ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam‘, which means One Earth, One Family, One Future.

The G20 has been expanded in the same way that the BRICS have expanded. It includes the newest member, the African Union, on the proposal of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is the first expansion since the formation of the G20 group.

The Group of 20 countries, commonly known as G20, is getting global attention as India is going to host the summit for the first time. This summit will be the first to be held in South Asia. In 2022, Indonesia handed over the G20 presidency to India.

New Delhi has been declared a controlled zone. Delhi Metro service will commence at 4 a.m. from September 8 to 10 in order to maintain law and order.

Outcomes of G20 2023:

The Delhi Declaration 2023 has been adopted by all G20 members with 100 percent consensus. This declaration covers the following areas:

1. Strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth
   
2. Accelerating Progress on Sustainable Development Goals
   
3. Green Development Pact for a Sustainable Future
   
4. Multilateral institutions for the 21st century
   
5. Reinvigorating Multilateralism 

The African Union has been welcomed by G20 countries as the 21st country in the bloc. The Chairman of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, warmly hugged the Prime Minister of India. With this announcement, India is now considered a leader among developing and underdeveloped countries.

What is the African Union?

This union is a group of 55 countries on the African continent. The headquarters of this union are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The main objective of the African Union is to establish unity and solidarity among the African nations.

A new alliance called the Global Biofuels Alliance has been launched at the G20 summit in 2023. The aim of this alliance is to ensure sustainability and clean energy. The founding member countries of this alliance are India, and the USA. Some other countries also joined the alliance, like Israel, Brazil, Bangladesh, Italy, the UAE, Mauritius, etc.

India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor is also launched at the summit. It will be an infrastructure project, including railway and shipping linkages. This corridor will connect India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Italy, the European Union, and the US.

Some controversies related to the G20 Summit 2023:

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are not going to attend this summit. It doesn’t mean that they are boycotting the G20 summit.

Russia will be represented by its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while China will be represented by Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said that Russia and China skipping the summit have nothing to do with India.

Theme of G20 2023:

India has held the presidency of the G20 summit since December 1, 2022. The theme of G20 Summit is Vasudhaiva kutumbakam 

This word has its origins in Sanskrit. The English meaning of Vasudhaiva kutumbakam is One Earth, One Family, One Future.

However, China objected to the theme as it is a Sanskrit phrase, and Sanskrit is not an official language of the United Nations. India, in response to the objection, said that we also used the English phrase Vasudhaiva kutumbakam—One Earth, One Family, One Future in the summary documents and outcome statements.

Some other countries also supported India’s substance, as India has the presidency of the G20 and has the right to do anything.

What is the G-20?

The G7, or group of 7 countries, that is, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, and France, formed the G20 countries. The G20 was formed for the first time in 1999. But regular annual summits for this group began in 2008. The first summit was held in Washington, the United States.

The G-20 is an international group of 20 countries. It includes those countries that are among the top 20 in the world in terms of economy. It brings the top developing economies together to discuss the key issues related to the economy.

Member Countries of G20:

1. Argentina 
2. Australia 
3. Brazil
4. Canada 
5. China
6. France
7. Germany 
8. India
9. Indonesia 
10. Italy
11. Japan
12. Mexico
13. South Korea
14. Russia
15. Saudi Arabia 
16. South Africa
17. Turkey
18. United States
19. United Kingdom 
20. European Union 

Some Facts About the G20:

1. G20 countries comprised two-thirds of the global population.
2. The total gross domestic product (GDP) of these countries accounts for 80% of the world’s gross domestic product.
3. These 20 countries cover 60 percent of the total world area.
4. G20 countries account for 75% of world trade.

What is Sherpa Track?

The word sherpa was used for an ethnic group in Nepal that is expert in mountain tracking. But in this modern era, the word sherpa is used for an individual who is a guide or a mentor.

In diplomacy, a sherpa is the representative of the government who meets in various meetings in order to prepare for the international summit. The sherpa of the host country invites the sherpa of other countries to discuss various agendas and matters.

The Sherpa track of the G20 was started in 2008. For the 18th summit of the G20, India has nominated former Chief Executive Officer of the Niti Ayog, Amitabh Kant, as an Indian Sherpa.

Amitabh Kant said that a total of 13 ministerial-level meetings have been held, like meetings of the Finance Minister, Health Ministers, Defence Ministers, and Governors of Central Banks in different states of India.