Amid the serious challenges posed by Covid-19 followed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, multilateral efforts are being made to not only solve these challenges comprehensively but also to ensure collaborated economic progress at a global level. The current G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, does not seem to be an exception. However, how the G20 sets the global roadmap for the future involving the member nations, and prioritises the objectives, remains the critical question.
With India becoming the new president of the powerful G20 group for next year, the entire world seems to be hopeful of speedy developments. G20, a powerful group of the world’s most developed as well as developing economies, was founded in 1999 to address major global economic issues while endorsing sustainable development. As it includes both developed and fast developing nations, it provides better representation of nations across the globe and a more inclusive stage for discussion and resolution of various issues. Covering approximately 60% of world’s population, 75% of international trade and 80% of global GDP, G20 indeed holds a great significance. Scale and speed seem to be the need of the hour when we look at the global crises due to Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands this well. He has made the priorities clear during his addresses in Bali so far. Apart from reiterating his commitments towards food and energy security, Modi also explicitly restated his call to end the Russia-Ukraine war and ensure peace and security in the world. He also clearly expressed how the UN has remained unsuccessful in bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to an end. While setting the stage for the next summit to be held in India in 2023, he said, “The need of the hour is to show concrete and collective resolve to ensure peace, harmony and security in the world. I am confident that next year when the G20 meets in the holy land of Buddha and Gandhi, we will all agree to convey a strong message of peace to the world.” The message is loud and clear.
India will continue to follow its basic philosophy of “vasudhaiv kutumbakam” (entire world is one family) to promote global peace and security. This not only works on the present Russia-Ukraine war, if applied seriously, it can also eminently help in achieving other global objectives such as resolving the issue of global economic slump, maintaining stability in the Indo-pacific region, promoting international collaboration to boost research and development, solving the challenge of climate change containment and more.
With a keen focus to encourage digital transformation, agriculture, healthcare facilities and systems, international trade and resilient supply chains, India seems to be in a dynamic form as the new president of G20. While addressing the Indian diaspora in Bali, Prime Minister Modi shared how India has been working for the global good and is promoting international trade and collaborations. India indeed seems to be in a different dimension presently where it is focusing on self-reliant India, on the one hand, while encouraging strategic partnerships with the like-minded nations, on the other, to promote rapid and long-lasting economic growth. Presently, both the bilateral as well as multilateral equations in global politics do not seem to be in symmetry. Russia has started considering almost the entire world as NATO led by the US, and is suspicious about nations as well as institutions. Although the foreign minister of Russia is attending the G20 summit, we should not forget that Putin has not marked his presence in Bali, despite knowing the fact that its long-time friend nation India is taking up the next presidency of G20 from Indonesia. On the other hand, the US is continuously fuelling the military capabilities of Ukraine, while oxymoronically also suggesting Russia and Ukraine to end the war. NATO is strengthened in past couple of months, but the nations like Britain are facing the brunt of providing aids to Ukraine. Arms race has intensified, irrespective of global economic, food and energy related challenges. In East Asia, Japan has announced remilitarisation and North Korea is trying to disturb the stability of the region. Indo-Pacific region seems to be another major challenge where the conflict between China and Taiwan seems to be getting internationalised.
The theme of the summit is “Recover together, recover stronger”. Staying together to resolve the perennial issues and moving on is crucial for the world at the moment for it seems to be on the brink of complete economic collapse.
India has already made it clear that it stands with all groups and lobbies for global good. India has also proved its calibre by providing its home-grown vaccines to more than 100 countries during the tough times of Covid 19 and has successfully maintained a balance stand during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. With a brand image of a dynamic, balanced, helpful and an inclusive nation, India generates the hope of not only helping in ending the Russia-Ukraine war and resolving the associated repercussions, it also seems to be calling upon developed and developing nations to collaborate and grow while helping the less-developed nations to come out of the shadow of underdevelopment and join the league of growing economies.
The author is Professor, School of International Studies, JNU.