India's influence evident in G20 Declaration; leaders condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations

Johannesburg [South Africa], November 23 (ANI): India successfully ensured that the key priorities of its G20 Presidency were reflected in the G20 South African Summit Leaders' Declaration, with the document prominently echoing the concerns of the Global South and reaffirming several commitments initiated under India's leadership.

From India's perspective, two major priorities, the condemnation of terrorism and the recognition of the transformative potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), found clear and direct mention.

"We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," the declaration stated, marking one of the strongest reiterations of the global stance on terrorism.

On technology, the document reaffirmed commitments made in New Delhi on harnessing digital and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. The leaders highlighted the need for safe, secure and trustworthy AI, ensuring human rights protection, transparency, fairness and accountability.

"We reaffirm the G20 AI principles and recall the New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro Leaders' Declaration on our commitments to harness the potential of digital and emerging technologies, including AI. We will work to promote international cooperation and further discussions to unlock the full potential of AI, equitably share its benefits and mitigate risks, recognising the need to incorporate the voices of developed and developing countries," the statement said.

"To ensure safe, secure, and trustworthy AI development, deployment and use, the protection of human rights, transparency and explainability, fairness, accountability, regulation, safety, appropriate human oversight, ethics, biases, privacy, data protection and data governance must be addressed. We recognise the role of the United Nations, alongside other relevant existing fora, in promoting international AI cooperation, including to empower sustainable development," the statement added.

There was a push for strong language on empowerment of women and girls and in this regard, one of the key outcomes of India's G20 presidency, women-led development has been encouraged.

"We reaffirm our full commitment to the empowerment of women and girls and to urgently remove social and economic barriers to achieve gender equality. We encourage women-led development and ensure women's full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life," the statement read.

"We condemn all forms of discrimination against women and girls and recall our commitment to end gender-based violence and the killing of women and girls because of their gender. To this end, we commit to take accelerated action to eradicate all forms of violence, including sexual violence and harassment against all women and girls, and violence occurring in public and private life, online and offline," the statement added.

The declaration acknowledged women as agents of peace and reaffirmed the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

"As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we reaffirm our commitment to its full, effective and accelerated implementation. We welcome the Global Leader's Meeting on Women held on October 13-14 in Beijing by China and UN Women to commemorate Beijing+30 and carry forward the spirit of the Beijing Conference. We also recognise the role of women as agents of peace," the statement said.

Strengthening disaster resilience and response is the key priority of the South African presidency. The outcomes of the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group initiated by the Indian presidency have been reinforced in the declaration. Further, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) has been recognised in this context.

"We underscore the importance of investing in building sustainable resilience, prioritising prevention and taking anticipatory action, rooted in evidence-based policy making. This can include the expansion and greater use of affordable, inclusive and accessible pre-arranged financing mechanisms, to strengthen ex ante disaster risk reduction and preparedness for timely, flexible, effective, comprehensive and equitable disaster response and recovery while placing people's lives and livelihoods at the core. This could also include financing that motivates ex-ante DRR, such as parametric insurance, risk pools, contingent credit, catastrophe bonds, insurance guarantee facilities linked to elective delivery mechanisms, particularly adaptive social protection systems, and take note of initiatives such as the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)," the statement read.

On food security, the Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition were reaffirmed, highlighting the continued challenges of hunger and access to healthy diets, while underscoring the fundamental right to be free from hunger.

"While we welcome progress made in reducing hunger in the world, we are still alarmed that up to 720 million people continued to experience hunger in 2024 and that 2.6 billion people were unable to afford healthy diets. We reaffirm that food stands at the heart of human life and that the G20 should employ all efforts towards ensuring SDG 2 and the progressive realisation of the right to food in the context of national food security, as reaffirmed through the Deccan High-Level Principles," the statement read.

"We recognise the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger and we affirm that political will to create the conditions to expand access and affordability to safe, healthy and nutritious food is needed. We reaffirm our commitment to uphold international law, in particular international humanitarian law, and reiterate that intentional starvation of civilians should not be used as a method of warfare," the statement added.

In health, the role of traditional and complementary medicine has been recognised, echoing the New Delhi Leaders' declaration.

"We recognise the role of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in line with its constitution in global health, supported by adequate, predictable, transparent, flexible and sustainable financing. Investments in health can be a fundamental driver of stability, growth and resilience. We encourage domestic public financing for health as the primary source for health finance, complemented by international support," the statement read.

"We take note of initiatives such as the Lusaka Agenda, among others, aimed at advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health security. We recognise the critical importance of investing in the health and well-being of all, including women, children and adolescents, as a foundation for sustainable development and call upon all partners to intensify coordinated action and efforts to accelerate progress towards UHC. We remain committed to building more resilient, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive health systems for the provision of integrated people-centred health services, including mental health, and to achieve Universal Health Coverage. We recognise the potential role of evidence-based traditional and complementary medicine," the statement added.

One of the most significant achievements was in climate finance, wherein we managed a more ambitious language than last year. In addition to recognising the need to scale up climate finance from billions to trillions of dollars, the declaration highlights that the needs of developing countries to implement their nationally determined contributions are estimated at USD 5.8-5.9 trillion for the pre-2030 period.

"We recognise the need for increased global investments to meet our climate goals of the Paris Agreement and to rapidly and substantially scale up investment and climate finance from billions to trillions globally from all sources. In this regard, it is essential to align all relevant financial flows with these objectives while scaling up finance, capacity building and technology transfer on voluntary and mutually agreed terms, taking into account the priorities and needs of developing countries," the statement read.

"We welcome the outcome of the GST-1 adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28) and in Baku (COP29) on the New Collective Quantified Goal, and we look forward to its implementation. We welcome the efforts in communicating updated nationally determined contributions, including being informed by the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake. We recognise the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5 °C pathways and call on members to contribute to the global efforts against climate change, in a nationally determined manner, taking into account the Paris Agreement and their different national circumstances, pathways and approaches," the statement added.

The statement highlighted that any measures taken to combat climate change should not harm the interests of international trade.

"We highlight that the needs of developing countries to implement their nationally determined contributions are estimated at USD 5.8-5.9 trillion for the pre-2030 period. We note that measures taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade," the statement said.

The importance of embracing sustainable production and consumption patterns and mainstreaming Lifestyles for Sustainable Development (LiFE) has been recognised.

"Recalling the G20 Reference Framework for Effective Country Platforms developed under the 2020 Saudi Arabia Presidency, the Framework for transition planning and country platforms as well as the voluntary G20 Principles for Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions adopted under the 2024 Brazilian G20 presidency, the G20 members and invited countries should strengthen their e orts in advancing energy transitions planning through local, national, regional approaches, taking into account national circumstances and priorities that pursue, among others, energy security, poverty alleviation, social resilience and equity, as well as voluntary technology transfer on mutually agreed terms and economic empowerment," the statement said.

"We recognise the importance of embracing sustainable production and consumption patterns and mainstreaming Lifestyles for Sustainable Development (LiFE)," it added.

India also pushed for United Nations Security Council reform to make it more representative and inclusive, highlighting the need to improve the representation of underrepresented regions, including Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.

"We pledge to reform the Security Council through a transformative reform that aligns it with the realities and demands of the 21st century, makes it more representative, inclusive, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable, and more transparent to the whole of the UN membership, allowing for better responsibility sharing among all its members, while improving the effectiveness and transparency of its working methods. We call for an enlarged Security Council composition that improves the representation of the underrepresented and unrepresented regions and groups, such as Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean," the statement said.

In addition, language from the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration resonated throughout the G20 document, reflecting India's significant influence on global priorities. (ANI)

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