The Heinrich Boell Stiftung New Delhi has been working for many years to strengthen civil society voices and representation from India at the Group of Twenty (G20). As part of the world’s civil society, our partners from India have been contributing to the Civil 20 (C20) platform – pivotal in cultivating ‘people-centeredness’ within the G20 process, challenging and inputting to promote social and economic development.
The world today is struggling with multiple crises. The negative impacts of the health pandemic, murky populisms, rising tendencies of economic protectionism are leading to attempts of re-nationalisation, and the risk of a global economic recession. All this takes place in a context of climate change that is challenging life of all species on the planet. The tensions caused by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the economic (food, energy) crises are a flashpoint having irrevocable effects on the state of international affairs.
Is the liberal international order as we know it collapsing or is the system about to have a profound restructuring?
Of all the international groupings, G20, bringing together the world's major economies, is the most diverse. Its members account for over 80 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the global population. The representation of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation, World Health Organisation, makes G20 a premier forum. With the weight of its membership it is an incomparable global governance body. In the past, G20’s multilateralism has been central to managing the global financial crisis and promoting international financial stability.
At the same time, there is tremendous economic diversity within G20. Significantly, political blocs within G20 have established themselves. Responding to global power politics, the Group of Seven (G7) countries, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) or BRICSAM (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa , the ASEAN states, Mexico) have been taking diverging polemical positions. The Ukraine war has only further sharpened the divergences between the member states of G20 casting a long shadow over its legitimacy and ability to deliver tangible results.
Therefore – and in the context of multiple global challenges – G20 faces a looming existential threat to its relevance. It is inthe midst of these challenges that India is faced with the challenge of hosting the G20 Summit in 2023. Will G20 with its crisis-solving reputation under India’s leadership step up as a viable forum to demonstrate the power of global cooperation amid growing international disunity?
There are mounting aspirations and hopes attached to the Indian Presidency: Will India be able to manage the global crosscurrents and deliver on the leadership? Timing-wise Prime Minister Narendra Modi is faced with hosting the G20 Summit at the end of his second term in government with the federal elections a few months away. The Summit is, therefore, accorded the highest of the priorities with Mr Modi deeply engaged – not only for the sake of G20, but also for the ways that his leadership will reflect on his position in the upcoming elections. The year 2023 also coincides with India celebrating its 75th year of independence from colonial rule.
The broader question for India will be: Can it deftly respond to competing global, regional and national interests, find paths and instruments to bridge the divides, rebuild peace and damaged supply chains, while taking up issues of global importance affecting the most vulnerable around the world?
Two top Asian economies that are defining an emergent Asia – Indonesia and India – take on the mantle in 2022 and 2023 as G20 hosts. Hard hit by the impacts of the pandemic, the Asian presidencies take on an aspiring agenda to shape the future of global recovery. Although Indian Presidency’s priorities for 2023 are not yet announced, post –COVID-19 recovery, equitable access to vaccines, implementation of the Paris Climate agreement, stepping up multilateral efforts to remove supply chain barriers, financing of terror and issues around cyber security should be on table. India will also provide continuity to the agenda set by Indonesia and be responsible for a smooth transition. Sequencing of G20 presidencies in the Global South with the baton passing from India to Brazil and South Africa – first time in the history of G20 – will certainly also be an opportunity to enrich, strengthen and power-balance the G20’s sustainable development agenda.
Analysts have highlighted that India is perhaps the only potential global player that has diplomatic acumen to straddle the current geopolitical faultlines – with NATO and its allies, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and G7 on one side, and BRICS with other emerging countries on the other. With India’s membership and outreach to both sides, and its compelling capabilities to influence global geopolitics, India has the opportunity to bring the world leading powers to craft a viable roadmap to reconciliation, recovery and growth. How inclined is India to take on a broader role as a chief global diplomat and avoid the pitfalls of polarisation? Will it be able to revitalise multilateralism through a buildup of a robust, inclusive process, accommodative of diversity and differences?
Finally, the political leaders of G20 need to connect to their publics. Activists, civil society representatives and other societal visionaries expect their political leaders to catalyse the need for change, and for them to represent and serve their communities whose needs and priorities should be in the forefront of G20 or for that matter any global decision making. In this regard, the C20 is an important partner to G20 – global platform comprising civil society organisations spread across the world, from international NGOs to grassroots local groups, reflecting local perspectives and experiences. As an important engagement group, C20 brings together the socio-cultural capital of the global citizens to steer the conversations and think about sustainable futures together.
This context sets the background of our Dossier on “G20 in India”. It is an attempt towards knowledge production, bringing issues on the current state of multilateral systems, international finance and global politics into the public narrative. With trenchant analysis, wide ranging perspectives, alternative approaches, commentaries and recommendations from a cross-section of contributors, it shares insights on the most important thematic areas of G20.
We aim to take stock of G20 prospects for the Indian Presidency in 2023, while also exploring fundamental shifts that are re-shaping global cooperation trends. We want to highlight new approaches and the potential for alternatives that may emerge. Contributions provide civil society perspectives; and other interest groups from politics, think tanks, academia and government will share from their valuable work.
The Dossier will be updated frequently, so please check back for new materials.