G20 colleagues supported suggestion on mutual recognition of vaccine certificates: Piyush Goyal

Rome [Italy], October 29 : G-20 has acknowledged India's leadership on global concerns and has supported its views on a wide array of issues that would come up at the summit, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.
Briefing the media after the ministerial meeting of G 20 Sherpas, Goyal said that the G20 has endorsed India's position that extensive COVID-19 immunization is a global public good.
The Minister said he was happy to get support from G20 colleagues for his suggestion on mutual recognition of travel documents, including testing and vaccine certificates.
On the issue of sustainable development and food security, he said India has insisted that policies must protect the interests of small and marginal farmers, conserve local food cultures which, in turn, will ensure food security
On climate change and environment protection, India has strongly spoken on the need for critical enablers for galvanizing global climate action, which includes commensurate, long-term, concessional climate finance, access to affordable and sustainable technology, commitment to adopt sustainable lifestyles and responsible consumption patterns and importance of meeting SDG-12 targets, especially by the developed countries.
On the issue of post-Covid economic recovery, he said as co-chairs of the G20 Framework Working Group, India is ensuring that there is no premature withdrawal of support and the most vulnerable sections are provided the necessary support.
G20 has agreed to extend the Debt Service Suspension initiative till the end of 2021, giving some breathing space to those in need and the vulnerable population around the world, Goyal said.
He said that on the issue of tax reforms, India has pushed the G20 to address the mismatch between the source of generation of profits and the jurisdiction where they are taxed.
This will ensure that large MNCs pay a minimum effective corporate tax in the country of their operation.
Goyal said India as the G20 co-chair of the anti-corruption working group this year, has contributed towards the five think pieces related to asset recovery, information sharing, law enforcement cooperation, technology and denial of safe-havens.
He said that India supports G20's emphasis on women's empowerment.
"We strongly advocated for the inclusion of language against gender-based violence and supported the new policy framework of G20 on 'remote working arrangements,'" he said.
Goyal, who is India's G20 sherpa, that India highlighted the importance of the recovery of the tourism sector especially given the impact of COVID-19 on this sector.
"India welcomes G20 focus on creative economy and preserving cultural heritage was supported by India," he said.
The Minister said that India strongly pushed for the need for balancing the "data free flow with trust" narrative with cross-border data flows and accommodating development imperatives of the developing countries.
He added that G20's endorsement of using 'data for development' is a matter of great satisfaction.
The Minister noted that India's voice in G20 represents the voice of all developing countries.
The Sherpas met to finalize the Rome Declaration which will be adopted by the Leaders at the summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rome on Friday for the G20 Summit meeting to be held on October 30,31.
Goyal said that it was following PM Modi's suggestion to the Saudi Leadership in 2020 that G20 convened an extraordinary Summit on the COVID-19 situation last year.
This year Italy convened a special summit to leverage the G20's influence in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
G20 also focused on the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially the rights of women, children, minorities and vulnerable people in Afghanistan, according to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and other relevant international instruments.
An official release said Goyal has been in Rome for the past three days to oversee final preparations for the Prime Minister's participation in the G20 Summit.
Goyal participated in the 6th G20 Sherpas' meeting from October 27 to 29 and held bilateral meetings with many of his G20 counterparts.
He said G20 has emerged as the premier global forum for international cooperation and represents 80 per cent of the world's GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the world's population.
Italy is holding the Presidency of the G20 this year.
India will take G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, and enter the Troika in December this year.