Priyanshi Pareek reports on the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit and Parliamentary Forum..
What is G20?
The Group of Twenty (G20) plays a key role in all major international economic issues. Collectively, G20 members represent 85% of global economic output, two-thirds of the world’s population and 75% of international trade. The forum initially focused on broad macroeconomic issues, but it has expanded its agenda to include trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, the environment and anti-corruption.
Aim of G20 Speakers’ Summits
G20 Speakers’ Summits (P20) aim to bring a parliamentary dimension to global governance, raise awareness, build political support for international commitments, and ensure that these are effectively translated into national realities. The Summits also seek to promote inter-parliamentary cooperation, enhance engagement between governments, parliaments and other stakeholders in the implementation of various G20 outcomes, and advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The host of Ninth P20 Summit
The Ninth P20 Summit was hosted by Parliament of India in cooperation with IPU on 13-14 October 2023 in New Delhi. The Summit was preceded by a Parliamentary Forum on 12 October 2023. The theme of the Summit is Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future, which draws inspiration from the ancient Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is one Family).
The Summit hosted four high-level sessions on Accelerating SDGs; Sustainable Energy Transition; Women led Development; and Transformation in Peoples’ Lives through Public Digital Platforms. A Parliamentary Forum also organized on ‘LiFE’ (Lifestyle for Environment) as a pre-Summit event to promote adoption of sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of production and consumption.
Inauguration
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) on 13 October 2023 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi at around 11 AM. The summit was hosted by the Parliament of India under the broader framework of India’s G20 Presidency.
Theme
The theme of the 9th P20 Summit was “Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future.” The event was attended by Speakers of Parliaments of G20 members and invitee countries. The Pan-African Parliament took part in the P20 Summit for the first time after the African Union became a member of G20 at the New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Summit on 9-10 September 2023.
The thematic sessions during this P20 Summit focused on the following four subjects – Transformation in People’s Lives through Public Digital Platforms; Women-led development; Accelerating SDGs; and Sustainable Energy Transition.
A pre-summit Parliamentary Forum on LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was held on 12 October 2023 to deliberate upon initiatives towards a greener and sustainable future in harmony with nature.