PM Modi hands over G20 presidency to Brazil as summit draws to close
The prime minister also proposed G20 virtual summit in November end to review progress on matters decided in this summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (September 10) announced the closure of the two-day G20 Summit after handing over the gavel of G20 presidency to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“I congratulate Brazilian President and my friend Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva," said PM Modi as he handed over G20 presidency to Brazil. Responding to it, Brazilian President Lula said, “I congratulate PM Modi for efficiently leading G20 bloc and for excellent work in this summit.”
PM Modi also proposed a virtual session of the G20 around the end of November to take stock of the suggestions and decisions made at the leaders’ summit that concluded in New Delhi on Sunday. In his concluding remarks at the final session of the two-day G20 summit here, Modi noted that India's presidency of G20 would officially continue till November 30 and over two-and-half months were left for its tenure as the head of the grouping. “It is my proposal that we hold another session of the G20 virtually in November-end. In that session, we can review the issues that have been agreed upon during this summit. Our teams will share the details of it with all of view. I hope all of you will join this (session),” he said. “With this I declare the G20 summit as closed,” Modi said while citing a Sanskrit shloka to pray for hope and peace in entire world.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi made a fresh push for reforms in global institutions, including the United Nations, asserting that the world's “new realities” should be reflected in “new global structure” as it is nature’s law that those who don't change with times lose their relevance. “It is necessary the global bodies should reflect today's realities to lead the world towards a better future,” Modi said at the ‘One Future’ session in the G20 Summit, citing the United Nations Security Council as an example for a body needing change. He said the world was totally different when the UN was established with 51 founding members as their numbers have now risen to nearly 200.
“Despite this, the number of permanent members in the UNSC remains the same. The world has since changed a lot in every aspect. Be it transport, communication, health and education, every sector has been transformed. These new realities should reflect in our new global structure,” he said.
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Live Updates
- 10 Sept 2023 10:24 AM IST
UK announces record climate aid commitment
United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces record climate aid commitment as G20 in India concludes. The UK will provide $2 billion to the Green Climate Fund which is the biggest single funding commitment the UK has made to help the world tackle climate change. The UK will contribute £1.62 billion ($2 billion) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was established by 194 countries following the Copenhagen Accord at COP15: British High Commission in India
- 10 Sept 2023 10:20 AM IST
Doctor on call: e-Sanjeevani kiosk at G20 Summit venue to help delegates, mediapersons
G20 delegates or accredited mediapersons feeling under the weather can consult doctors online via e-Sanjeevani kiosks at the summit venue.
India has showcased its digital prowess to the delegates attending the G20 Summit at the Bharat Mandapam through a Digital India Experience Zone. From UPI to the national telemedicine service e-Sanjeevani and Aadhaar to DigiLocker, some of India's key digital public infrastructure projects have been showcased at the zone. Delegates and guests will be able to experience the journey of Digital India initiatives via virtual reality at the zone.
A similar zone has also been set up for mediapersons accredited to cover the summit. “Any delegates or mediapersons not feeling well can come to the e-Sanjeevani kiosk at Hall 14 or Hall 4 and consult a doctor online for free. To facilitate registration on the portal for foreign delegates and mediapersons, we have made a special arrangement for the G20 Summit. They can just mention 'G20' in the address field," an official told PTI. After consultation, they can access e-prescriptions by scanning a QR code and it will get downloaded on their phones. The prescription can also be accessed via the app, he said.
Doctor on call: e-Sanjeevani kiosk at G20 Summit venue to help delegates, mediapersons
The Digital India Experience Zone is a "key attraction" at the venue, the government has said.
AI-based language platform Bhashini for live translation of audio into any preferred language and the Diksha portal for aiding the learning of teachers have also been showcased. Many mediapersons from Russia and other countries were seen trying the platform. G20 delegates will be able to get a first-hand experience of India's progress in digital public infrastructure, especially through e-Sanjeevani, officials said.
Uliana Miroshkina, a journalist from Russia's Rossiya Segodnya, told PTI, "I tried the (Bhashini) platform to see how it works. Though some of the responses were odd in terms of translation from English to Russian, I think the idea matters. This can be refined to bridge language barriers and create a more effective platform."
- 10 Sept 2023 9:54 AM IST
200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 15 drafts led to consensus on Ukraine: India's Sherpa
200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 15 drafts led to consensus on Ukraine: India's Sherpa
G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Sunday (September 10) said that it took over 200 hours of non-stop negotiations by a team of Indian diplomats to deliver a consensus on the G20 declaration that was adopted at the Leaders' Summit in New Delhi.
The team of diplomats, including joint secretaries Eenam Gambhir and K Nagraj Naidu, held 300 bilateral meetings and circulated 15 drafts with their counterparts on the contentious Ukraine conflict to drive home a consensus that was clinched on the first day of the G20 Leaders Summit itself.
“The most complex part of the entire G20 was to bring consensus on the geopolitical paras (Russia-Ukraine). This was done over 200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings, 15 drafts,” Kant said.
Kant said he was greatly assisted in the efforts by Naidu and Gambhir.
“India managed to hammer out an unexpected consensus among the G20 countries on the contentious issue with emerging economies such as Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia playing a leading role in reaching the breakthrough,” he said.
The G20 leaders' declaration avoided mentioning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and made a general call to all states to follow the principle of respecting each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability," the declaration said.
- 10 Sept 2023 9:23 AM IST
Sunak performed puja with a lot of faith: Akshardham Temple director
“His experience was extraordinary...he performed pooja and aarti with a lot of faith...We showed him the temple and also gave him a model of the temple as a gift...he enjoyed every minute here...he kept on extending the time...his wife was also very happy...," says director of Akshardham Temple, Jyotindra Dave, on UK PM Rishi Sunak’s visit to the temple.
