Johannesburg/New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing two sessions on the opening day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, called for a stronger voice for the Global South within global governance frameworks. This marked his 12th participation in a G20 Summit.
Hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the summit opened with PM Modi thanking the host nation for its warm hospitality and the successful organization of the event.
Advocating Broader Inclusion
PM Modi emphasized that the admission of the African Union as a permanent G20 member at the New Delhi Summit was a significant step toward inclusivity. He noted that this approach should extend beyond the G20, particularly as the summit was being held in Africa for the first time.
During the session on “Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind,” the Prime Minister commended the South African presidency for its work in areas such as skilled migration, tourism, food security, artificial intelligence, digital economy, innovation and women’s empowerment. He said that several key decisions from the New Delhi Summit continued to guide the group’s ongoing work.
Modi also underscored the need for new development benchmarks that address imbalanced growth and environmental overuse. He suggested exploring the Indian philosophical concept of “Integral Humanism,” which he described as a holistic framework linking human progress, societal well-being and environmental harmony.
Six Proposals for G20 Cooperation
Detailing India’s approach to inclusive growth and shared welfare, PM Modi proposed six ideas for the G20’s consideration:
- G20 Global Traditional Knowledge Repository: A platform to preserve and share the collective traditional wisdom of humanity for future generations.
- G20 Africa Skills Multiplier: A programme to train one million certified trainers for youth skilling across Africa, aimed at building long-term capacity.
- G20 Global Healthcare Response Team: A group of medical experts from all G20 members to be deployed during global health emergencies.
- G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership: A mechanism to provide satellite data from G20 space agencies to developing countries for agriculture, fisheries, disaster management and other sectors.
- G20 Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative: An effort to promote recycling, urban mining, battery second-life projects and innovation to secure supply chains and support clean development pathways.
- G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug-Terror Nexus: A coordinated strategy to combat the drug trade, including fentanyl trafficking, and dismantle the financial networks that fuel terrorism.
Addressing Climate, Disaster Risk and Food Systems
In a session on “A Resilient World – G20 Contribution to Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transition; Food Systems,” PM Modi welcomed the continuation of the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group initiated during India’s presidency. He said disaster resilience should be approached through a “development-centric” lens, citing India’s Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure as an example.
Highlighting global food security challenges, he urged stronger collective action on the climate agenda. Modi pointed to the nutritional and ecological benefits of millets and reaffirmed the relevance of the Deccan Principles on Food Security adopted under India’s G20 leadership, calling for a roadmap based on these principles.
The Prime Minister also pressed developed nations to deliver on climate finance and technology commitments to developing countries within set timelines.
PM Modi met several world leaders on the sidelines of the summit during the day.
