Mumbai: G20 delegates witness digital sound and light show at Gateway of India
May 23, 2023
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23 : G20 delegates on Tuesday witnessed a digital sound and light show at the Gateway of India in Mumbai. They also enjoyed a cultural dance at the Gateway of India. 
Some of the G20 delegates were seen dancing to the tunes of drums. They joined artistes who were performing at Gateway of India and even played the drums. The G20 delegates were in Mumbai to attend the third Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting. 
India under its G20 Presidency has been hosting meetings across the country. Notably, India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2022.
The three-day meeting in Mumbai witnessed the participation of 141 delegates from G20 countries and 10 invitee countries. The representatives of 14 international and regional organisations participated in the deliberations, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in the press release.
The 3 priories outlined for the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group were arresting land degradation, promoting a circular economy and giving impetus to the blue economy. All meetings focused on a specific theme out of these three themes.
The 3rd ECSWG focussed on Blue Economy and was supported by two side events - Mega Beach Clean Up Event and the Ocean 20 Dialogue on Day 1 of the meeting. The mega Beach Clean-Up event also took place in Juhu which witnessed the participation of 20 countries and 37 Indian beaches from the coastal states and union territories.
The drive was organized to sensitize people and create awareness in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message on 'Swachhta' and 'Jan Bhagidari' and highlights the significance of the 'Lifestyle for Environment' (LiFE) concept and the importance of individual actions in tackling the menace of marine pollution, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in the press release.
The second day started with an inaugural address by Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Kapil M Patil who congratulated the Working Group on the resounding success of the Mega Beach Clean Up Event and appreciated the hard work done by the ECSWG in the area of climate change and environment issues.
Leena Nandan, G20 India Chair and Secretary, MoEFCC, expressed her gratitude to the delegates for engaging actively in the first two ECSWG meetings. She called on the G20 countries for their continued participation in the Communique discussion to ensure inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive outcomes, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in the press release.
The primary agenda of the 3rd Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting was the detailed discussions on the draft Ministerial Communique which entailed constructive discussions and deliberations on priority areas. The 3rd ECSWG meeting ended on a discussion mode on the Communique to be further deliberated upon in the virtual meetings scheduled over the next few weeks.
