During the G-20 Summit’s 19th meeting in Rio, Brazil, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, brought attention to the struggles faced by the world’s less developed economies. In these forums, India consistently brings up the issues plaguing the Global South countries, despite the G-20 being a congregation of major developed and emerging economies.
Modi stated during the G-20 Session devoted to ‘Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty’ that, “the crises of food, fuel, and fertilizer, spawned by global conflicts, have most severely affected the countries of the Global South.” He emphasized that any fruitful discussions need to take into account the challenges and priorities of the Global South.
Modi further acknowledged the efforts made at the New Delhi Summit in 2023, when the voice of the Global South was amplified by granting the African Union a permanent G-20 membership. He reiterated the commitment to reform global governance institutions.
In a session on Sustainable Development and Energy Transition, Modi stressed the importance of economic development, particularly for Small Island Developing States and other Global South countries. He highlighted the need for a suitable energy mix in the digital era, especially considering the rising influence of Artificial Intelligence.
He added that providing affordable and guaranteed climate finance for energy transition in the Global South is critical. Developed countries must fulfill their commitments to provide technology and finance in a timely manner.
India also joined the “Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty,” an initiative launched at the Rio G-20 Leaders’ Summit. This alliance, which comprises 148 founding members from various sectors, aims to expedite global efforts to eliminate hunger and poverty in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Rio G-20 Summit focused on building a fair world and a sustainable planet amidst the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate-induced crises, and global conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine War and Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
Amitabh Kant, India’s G-20 Sherpa, stated that the Rio de Janeiro G-20 Declaration continues the goals established in the 2023 New Delhi G-20 Declaration, including lifestyle changes for environmental protection, speeding up the SDGs, and the importance of digital public infrastructure and women-led development.
India has been vocalizing the concerns and aspirations of the Global South at the Rio G-20. The primary objective was to include the views and voices of those who are underrepresented at the G-20 table. The inclusion of the African Union as a G-20 member at the New Delhi Summit was a significant outcome of the Indian presidency.
India continues to gather the Global South countries for discussions on various developmental priorities. These include development finance, health, climate change, technology, governance, energy, trade, youth empowerment, digital transformation, women-led development, capacity building, and human-centric sustainable development.
India has been a prominent voice for Global South issues for years, bolstering its image as a credible power in a multipolar world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India, under the “Vaccine Maitri” initiative, sent vaccines to over 100 countries, a majority of which were from the Global South.
