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Challenges before leaders of G20
A gathering of world leaders such as the one going to take place is not just about tackling challenges; but also in seeing the opportunities out there to be taken advantage of.
Prime Minister Modi at G20 Leaders Summit in Bali, Indonesia. / Image - G20 Indonesia
A major summit is getting under way shortly in New Delhi and India is playing host to what is most certainly a major diplomatic event that the comity of nations is paying close attention to. The logistical challenges is for all to see in that world leaders and senior officials from some fifty countries along with heads of major international economic organisations like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund will be on hand to discuss some of the critical issues facing humanity. The capital city is virtually “off limits” to all those having nothing to do with the major event.
Diplomatically India has indeed a major task on its hands and all eyes will be on how deftly it weaves through the contentious issues dividing the participants not just geographically but ideologically as well. The President of the United States will be in New Delhi but the leader of Russia will be a notable absentee; and it remains to be seen the extent to which the war in the Ukraine will be debated and if any meaningful consensus could be reached. And quite sometime back Prime Minister Modi had made it clear that this was not an era for wars but conflict resolution through peaceful means.
In the midst of all the bilateral encounters that are expected to take place on the sidelines, it remains to be seen in the kind of progress that is going to be registered by the developed nations and the Global South on critical issues facing humanity by way of the ecology, environment, health and the vast disparities and inequities of growth and development. As if existing problems are not enough, the international community is once again confronted with a blockade on grain movement as a result of the war in the Ukraine dealing a punishing blow to all those impoverished nations already struggling for a decent way of living.
A gathering of world leaders such as the one going to take place is not just about tackling challenges; but also in seeing the opportunities out there to be taken advantage of. And this is not the time to see which country scores high on rhetoric and name calling. Undoubtedly the world at large is keen to see a quick end to the conflict in the Ukraine; but the onus is on Russia, Ukraine and the West to see that meaningful steps are taken to de-escalate first. Veiled threats on the use of unthinkable weapons or adding new class of weaponry in the war is not the way to go about.
India has always tried to play a meaningful and measured role in the international system; and is expected to once again rise to the occasion to address the issues facing humanity. But for anything to materialize every one of the participants sitting at the table must have the spirit of give and take. The days of monologue are a thing of the past.
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