Financial crises, climate change, pandemic, terrorism and wars ‘clearly shows’ that global governance has failed in achieving the objectives of the post world war architecture of global governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said while addressing the G20 Foreign Ministers' meet. He also said several developing countries are ‘struggling with unsustainable debt’ while trying to ensure food and energy security for their citizens and that these nations are most affected by global warming ‘caused by richer countries’.
Watch: PM Modi's bold message to West at G20 meet; 'No group can claim global leadership'
“We must also admit that the tragic consequences of these failures are being faced, most of all, by the developing countries. After years of progress, we are at risk today of moving back on the sustainable development goals,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister further said that India's G20 presidency is an initiative towards giving a voice to the global south. “No group can claim global leadership without listening to those most affected by its decisions,” he added.
“As you meet in the land of Gandhi and the Buddha, I pray that you will draw inspiration from India's civilisational ethos to focus not on what divided us but on what unites us,” he added.
The foreign ministers will meet just four days after a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Bengaluru ended without consensus on a joint statement because of opposition from China and Russia to a reference to the Ukraine war in the draft communique.
The first session on March 2 will focus on strengthening multilateralism and the need for reforms of multilateral bodies such as the UN, food and energy security, and development cooperation. The second session will be devoted to counter-terrorism and emerging threats, global skill mapping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.