G20 development ministers’ meeting in Varanasi: Jaishankar calls for united global approach to challenges

Varanasi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday called for a united global approach to deal with various challenges.

In his address at the G20 development ministers’ meeting in Varanasi, Jaishankar said the prospects of a global economic recovery remain dim amid supply chain disruptions, prolonged debt crisis and pressures on energy, food and fertiliser security.

India has put forward an ambitious seven-year action plan for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that presented an integrated and inclusive roadmap for G20 actions, he added.

The roadmap focuses on digital public infrastructure and fostering data for development, investing in women-led development and energy transition to protect the planet.

“The world today faces unprecedented and multiple crises -- from the pandemic to the disruptions in supply chains, from the impact of conflict to climate events, our era is becoming more volatile and uncertain by the day,” Jaishankar said.

“Added to this is the stubborn inflation, rising interest rates and shrinking fiscal space for many nations. As always in such times, the weak and vulnerable bear the brunt,” he said.

The external affairs minister said progress towards the SDGs was already falling short before the Covid-19 pandemic and that it has further been exacerbated.

In 2015, the UN firmed up a set of ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ that were focused on ending poverty around the world, protecting the planet and ensuring welfare and prosperity for everyone.

Jaishankar said the development ministerial meeting of the G20 is an opportunity for “us to demonstrate solidarity on these development issues.”

“The decisions we make today have the potential to contribute to an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future,” he said.

He noted that climate change continues unabated with a “disproportionate impact” on the least developed countries and small island developing states.

“The SDG agenda is a landmark not only in its universality in that it applies to all the countries, but also in its integrity in that it can only be successful as a comprehensive agenda,” he said.

“Unfortunately, since its adoption in 2015, not only have we seen the political momentum wither, but we also witnessed fragmentation in international priorities where some goals are deemed more important than others. Such cherry picking is not in our collective interests,” he said.

“As the world struggles with multiple inter-linked crises that have emerged, we have witnessed a painful illustration of that very inter-linked nature of the sustainable development goals.”

“It is in this context that India has put forward an ambitious seven-year action plan for accelerating progress on SDGs which presented a coordinated, integrated and inclusive roadmap for G20 actions,” the minister added.

Jaishankar said the action plan not only galvanises a strong commitment to the G20 agenda, but also puts forward transformative action on the three core agendas.

The first area, he explained, is bold decisive actions on fostering data for development and digital public infrastructure which are needed around the world to jump start innovation at the grassroots level.

The second area is investing in women-led development and the third is securing “globally just” transitions that will help future survival of the planet.

These transformative actions will act as a force multiplier for accelerating progress across all the SDGs and will contribute to a more effective and stronger multilateral system, said Jaishankar.

“We, as the G20, need to be bold in our ambition. We need to come together to address the crisis as one. The theme of the Indian Presidency ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ therefore is an urgent call for action.”

As ‘One Earth’, we must demonstrate solidarity for those in need. Truly leave no one behind, mobilise resources and direct our efforts where they are most needed.

As ‘One Family’, we must break all silos and destroy all fragmentations. We need to integrate our approaches, build systems that leverage synergies rather than rely on trade-offs. Reinvigorate the systems which deliver on our agendas and ensure that all voices at home and outside are equally heard and taken into account.

For ‘One Future’, we must keep the aspirations of our young people at the center of our actions. Our actions today must not put their future in danger. We must invest in our collective future today and ensure that it is built on the foundations of equality, mutual respect and solidarity.

“As we redouble efforts to rescue the SDGs and offer relief to those most in need, we also need to speak of the revival and reform of institutions and systems which will deliver on these goals,” he said.

“We are meeting at a pivotal moment with multiple important forums and events still ahead of us – the G20 Summit, the SDG Summit, the COP28 and the Summit of the Future. It is in our hands to shape the discussions at these future forums. We must put the development agenda at the heart of these discussions. The international community must speak in unison for those most in need,” he said.

He also said, “We must keep the aspirations of our young people at the centre of our actions. Our actions today must not put their future in danger. We must invest in our collective future today and ensure that it is built on the foundations of equality, mutual respect and solidarity.”

“It is essential that we constantly strengthen the international architecture and governance systems for the protection of global order, global laws, and global values. In doing so we would invariably find ourselves on the path where diplomacy, dialogue and cooperation take precedence over competition, conflict and divisions. Choosing peace, cooperation and multilateralism is essential for building our collective future,” said Jaishankar.

“With such an ambitious task on our hands, our actions must also be equally bold and purposeful. G20 needs to play a key role in assuring that this higher purpose remains well within our grasp. Our efforts will strengthen the hands of our Leaders when they come together at these historic summits, that I have spoken about, which are still ahead of us. The Action Plan that we adopt here today in Varanasi provides such a roadmap for the G20 to galvanise the critical momentum and ambition for these efforts,” he added.

Referring to Varanasi (Kashi) hosting the G20 development ministers’ meeting, he said, “It is only appropriate that we meet in this eternal city to culminate our work - the crucial development agenda which aims to propel global efforts to help those most in need.”

India is hosting the conclave of development ministers of the G-20 member nations from June 11-13 in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.