India continues to champion cause of Global South: External Affairs Committee report

New Delhi [India], December 20 : The External Affairs Committee on Wednesday emphasised that during India's G20 Presidency, India has effectively utilised the G20 platform to successfully mainstream the concerns of the global south in international discourse, stressing that it continues to champion the cause of the Global South.
The Committee on External Affairs, headed by Parliamentary Standing Committee PP Chaudhary, presented their 27th report on 'India's Engagement with G20 Countries', on Wednesday.
The Committee noted that the first of its kind 'Voice of the Global South Summit' convened by India, saw participation from 125 countries, heralded a new dawn of multilateralism.
"The Committee has further noted with immense satisfaction that during her Presidency, India has effectively utilised the G20 platform to successfully mainstream the concerns of the global south in international discourse," the report stated.
Moreover, the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration (NDLD) highlighted India's ability to bridge and straddle across geopolitical divides between the West and the East, between developing and developed countries.
The Committee is aware that the latest IMF forecast has confirmed that in the foreseeable future, over two-thirds of global growth will come from the Global South, as this region will provide the labour force and the investment opportunities to drive the bulk of global growth for the rest of the century.
"Addressing the concerns of the Global South would contribute towards greater global resilience and strengthening of the international order," it said.
It further said that the Committee desired that the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration become a springboard for the developing countries to take their rightful place in shaping the global narrative.
Moreover, the committee also desired to continue its bilateral and multilateral engagements on the G20 platform and play a greater role in global affairs in the future.
Meanwhile, the committee noted that the ministry needs to work on a mechanism to carry forward numerous ties formed with the G20 countries during India's presidency.
Highlighting the meetings held during India's G20 Presidency, the committee noted that "over 30,000 delegates from G20 member countries and invitee countries / international organisations participated in over 200 meetings held during India's G20 Presidency."
During the Presidency, India engaged with all the G20 countries throughout the year bilaterally at ministerial and leader's levels, which helped in gaining consensual support on difficult and critical issues.
Further, it noted that a key element of India's G20 Presidency was taking the G20 closer to the public and making it truly a 'People's G20' and recommended that the Ministry continue to conduct more Jan Bhagidari activities.
Underscoring the significance of traditional medicine, the committee "was happy to note that India has taken its G20 presidency in 2023 as a significant opportunity to showcase the country's rich heritage of traditional medicine and its potential to contribute to global health and well-being and recommended that the government continue to boost its efforts to raise global awareness on the potential benefits of traditional medicine."
Moreover, "the government also utilised its presidency to promote the production and consumption of millets and other ancient grains. The Committee recommends that successive G20 presidencies too stress upon the need to encourage production and consumption of millets and other ancient grains," the report said.
Emphasising India's proposal to welcome the African Union as a permanent member, the committee stated that the G20 has encompassed 80 per cent of the global population.
"The Committee has hoped that the inclusion of the AU as a member of the G20 would be the first step towards amplifying the voice of the developing countries in the G20 and fostering a more comprehensive dialogue on global challenges and opportunities," the report added.
The Committee has further desired that India's efforts towards the inclusion of the AU in the G20 would go a long way in strengthening the multifaceted relations with African countries, which in turn would reflect in positive outcomes for India during our political campaigns in the global arena.
Lastly, the committee has noted that India, along with Singapore, Bangladesh, Italy, the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mauritius and the UAE, have launched the Global Biofuel Alliance on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
"The Committee is sure that the alliance will help accelerate India's existing biofuel programme, ease the fiscal strain imposed by oil imports, and provide for additional opportunities for the growth of Indian industries in the form of export of technology, expertise and equipment," it added.