India’s acceptance among developed and emerging economies within G20 is helping it push proposals in areas such as digital transformation and climate justice through political heavy lifting that could be required to forge consensus on the Ukraine crisis, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
As the G20 sherpas, or senior officials acting on behalf of leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies, discuss the text of the final communique to be adopted at the summit in September, the Indian side has been making a concerted push on several issues considered vital for developing countries, including equitable debt restructuring, data for development, and finding funding for climate transition.
In the field of digital public infrastructure, the Indian side has been pushing for a secure and interoperable digital eco-system, the people said. The Indian side expects this will find reflection in the final communique to be adopted by leaders at the upcoming G20 Summit, while details for such infrastructure can be finalised in subsequent discussions.
India’s so-called “digital stack”, which includes open-source applications for identity, digital payments and healthcare solutions, has already received a good response in developing countries, including those in Africa, and this is expected to build momentum for DPI within the G20, the people said.
The work in the digital sphere also includes evolving common standards for cyber-security, the people added.
The Indian side is working towards a common framework for debt restructuring, especially for vulnerable debt-stressed nations of the Global South, which will include private, bilateral and multilateral debt, the people said. There should be a common but differentiated response, whereby basic benchmarks can be set through the common framework and country-specific solutions worked out, they said.
Given that this common framework will also include strong transparency and sharing of data, the Chinese side has not been very forthcoming in supporting it, the people said. These measures have found resonance with other G20 members.
India’s initiatives for restructuring multilateral financial institutions are linked to generating funding for green development and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Given that India is not a major producer of fossil fuels, its work in green energy is aimed at decarbonising while also fostering growth, the people said.
Referring to the Ukraine crisis as the “1,000-pound gorilla in the room”, the people said some political heavy lifting could be needed as the G20 is the only forum in which decisions rest with the leaders. The text used in the leaders’ declaration at the last G20 Summit in Indonesia only created a “containment zone” that didn’t hold for long, they said.
The communique in Bali had said most G20 members “strongly condemned the war in Ukraine” and stressed it was heightening energy and food insecurity, but it added that there were also “other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions”. The G7 members do not want any shift from this text, though Russia and China have been saying this formulation is no longer acceptable as the situation on the ground has changed.
The work being done by the 14 sherpas and other senior officials attending the deliberations in Hampi is aimed at preparing the grounds so that the G20 leaders can step in if needed, the people said.
