G20 Summit 2020: PM Modi called for Spirit of trusteeship towards planet Earth at 15th G20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the 15th G20 Leaders Summit on November 21, 2020. The two-day summit was convened by Saudi Arabia, chair of G20 for this year. 

The summit saw the participation of the heads of governments of 19 member countries, the European Union and other invited countries and international organizations. It was conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While speaking at the summit, PM Narendra Modi congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its leadership for its successful Presidency of the G20 in 2020 and for organizing the second virtual G20 Summit in 2020 despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Had a very fruitful discussion with G20 leaders. Coordinated efforts by the largest economies of the world will surely lead to faster recovery from this pandemic. Thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the Virtual Summit. #G20RiyadhSummit

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 21, 2020

G20 Summit 2020 Theme: "Realizing Opportunities of 21st Century for All” 

Key Agenda

•The main objective of the G20 Summit, spread over two days with two sessions, was to focus on enabling an inclusive, resilient and sustainable recovery from COVID 19 pandemic and its impact.

•Few side events were also planned on pandemic preparedness and safeguarding of the planet.

•The participating leaders discussed pandemic preparedness and ways and means to restore jobs.

•The leaders also shared their vision for building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future.

PM Modi's speech at G20 Summit 2020: Key Highlights

•The Prime Minister termed the COVID-19 pandemic as an important turning point in human history and the biggest challenge the world has faced since World War II. 

•He called for decisive action by G20 not only to aid economic recovery but to focus on preserving Earth as trustees of humanity's future. 

•He also called for a new Global Index for the Post-Corona World based on which, the G20 can lay the foundation of a new world. He suggested the Index to comprise the following four key elements:

– Creation of a vast Talent Pool

– Ensuring Technology reaches all segments of the society

– Transparency in governance systems

– Spirit of Trusteeship towards Planet Earth. 

•PM Modi also highlighted that in the past few decades, while there has been an emphasis on Capital and Finance, the time has come to focus on Multi-Skilling and Re-skilling to create a vast Human Talent Pool.

•He said that this would not only enhance the dignity of citizens but also make our citizens more resilient to face crises. He also stated that new technologies should be assessed on their impact on the quality of life.

•He also offered India's IT prowess to support the development of digital facilities that will enable the efficient functioning of the G20.

•PM Modi further called for greater transparency in governance systems to inspire citizens to deal with shared challenges and enhance their confidence.

•He also suggested dealing with the environment as trustees rather than owners, saying it will inspire everyone towards a holistic and healthy lifestyle.

Transparency in our processes helps in inspiring our societies to fight crisis collectively and with confidence. Spirit of trusteeship towards planet Earth will inspire us for a healthy and holistic lifestyle. #G20RiyadhSummit

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 21, 2020

•Further, the Prime Minister suggested the creation of a G20 Virtual Secretariat as a follow-up and documentation repository, while noting 'work from anywhere' to be a new normal in the post-COVID world.

Other Details 

The 15th G20 Leaders’ Summit will continue till November 22nd and end with the adoption of the Leaders’ Declaration and with Saudi Arabia passing on the G20 Presidency to Italy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the summit at the invitation of the summit's chair- King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.

India will be a part of the G20 troika, a three-member country committee chaired by the current summit presidency along with Saudi Arabia when Italy will take over the G20 presidency on December 1, 2020.

Background

The last extraordinary G20 leaders' summit was held in March 2020, during which the leaders developed a timely understanding among the G20 countries to help contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and forge a globally coordinated response".