Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations
In News
- The 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa is the first-ever G20 summit held on African soil under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.”
Key Highlights of the Summit
- Adoption of the G20 Leaders’ Declaration reaffirming commitments to climate action (focusing on adaptation finance and renewable energy), debt sustainability, and supporting vulnerable developing countries.
- Emphasis on institutional reforms including UN Security Council reform and stronger multilateral cooperation rooted in shared humanity (Ubuntu).
- Strong focus on empowerment of women and girls and condemning terrorism.
- Recognition of Africa’s developmental priorities, bolstered by the African Union’s permanent membership in the G20.
India’s Stand/Initiatives
- Proposed the Global Traditional Knowledge Repository to harness collective human wisdom.
- Launched the G20-Africa Skills Multiplier to create one million certified trainers to skill African youth.
- Advocated for a Global Healthcare Response Team for rapid health crisis intervention.
- Initiated the Open Satellite Data Partnership for agriculture, fisheries, and disaster management data sharing.
- Pitched the Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative promoting recycling and sustainable supply chains.
- Proposed a global initiative to counter the Drug-Terror Nexus, focusing on combating narcotics financing terrorism.
- Launched the ACITI trilateral framework with Australia and Canada for cooperation in critical technologies, AI, supply chains, and clean energy.
Challenges
- US boycott reflecting geopolitical tensions weakened unity among the major economies.
- Disagreements on ambitious fossil fuel phase-out language, mirroring COP30 failures.
- Persistent divisions regarding the war in Ukraine fractured transatlantic consensus.
- Developing countries stressed inequities in the global financial system including debt burdens and limited climate finance availability.
- Diplomatic protocol disputes, such as over G20 presidency handover between South Africa and the US, highlighted geopolitical sensitivities.
Way Ahead
- Strengthening multilateral consensus-building to insulate the G20 from great-power politics and enhance global crisis response.
- Prioritization should be given to climate finance, debt relief, and operationalizing commitments on adaptation finance, loss & damage, and concessional lending aimed at the Global South.
- Reforming the global financial architecture through restructuring of the IMF, World Bank, and development banks to ensure fair financing, inclusive representation, and transparent debt mechanisms.
Conclusion
- The 2025 Johannesburg G20 Summit marks a historic milestone by centring Africa and the Global South on the global economic agenda, showcasing new models of solidarity and sustainable development despite geopolitical divisions.
- India’s multifaceted initiatives underscore its growing role as a bridge between emerging economies and global governance, promoting inclusive growth, climate resilience, and technological cooperation.
| Know About Basics of G20 Grouping – The G20, or Group of Twenty, is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 individual countries(Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the USA), the European Union, and since 2023, the African Union—a total of 21 members. – These members represent the world’s major economies, accounting for about 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the global population. – The G20 was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis to improve global economic governance. – The annual G20 Summit is held under a rotating presidency supported by a troika of previous, current, and next presidencies to ensure continuity. |
Source: TH
