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Updated December 6th, 2022 at 21:51 IST

As India kicks off its G20 presidency, a look at how the forum actually functions

All eyes are on India as it takes the opportunity to boast its hold over foreign affairs during its G20 presidency year. But how does this forum actually work?

Reported by: Anmol Singla
G20
Image: AP | Image:self
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India finally has an opportunity to display its elevated standing in international economics and foreign affairs as it plays host to the prestigious Group of Twenty (G20) intergovernmental forum for the next twelve months. The 18th edition of this conference is being presided over by India after it took charge from Indonesia commencing December 1 this year. India is now responsible for setting the G20 agenda until it passes the presidency to Brazil late next year.

The G20 Heads of State and Government Summit will be the last event of the year-long forum and it will take place on September 9 and 10 in New Delhi. While the final event attended by heads of states and representatives of international organisations steals the limelight, the more active work is done during all the events and discussions that precede the Heads of State Summit. Vital deliberations and discussions are held in events prior to the final summit. 

String of G20 events kicks off months prior to the final summit

Not restricted to the national capital, G20 events are scheduled to take place in fifteen other cities across the subcontinent labelled as “Host Cities” which will give India a chance to display its diverse culture and cuisine to the visiting representatives. Suffice to say, negotiations begin months prior to the final summit.

India began its G20 presidency with the first Sherpa Meeting in Udaipur on Sunday. This four-day event is being attended by the international Sherpas, their delegations, and heads of invited International Organizations (IOs) from G20 Members, nine Guest countries and fourteen IOs.

Finance and Sherpa meetings along with engagement group discussions are scheduled all through the next three months across the country. These meetings are essential as in-depth analysis and negotiations over a range of international issues are carried out which later contribute towards the policy-making process of nations.  

What comprises the Sherpa track, the Finance Track and other Engagement Groups?

The G20 consists of two parallel tracks: the Finance Track and the Sherpa Track. Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors lead the Finance Track while Sherpas lead the Sherpa Track.

Sherpas are representatives of the Leader of the states. India’s Sherpa during its presidency year is the former CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant. The Finance Track is mainly led by the Ministry of Finance. 

Both of the tracks comprise working groups which focus on various relevant fields. Working groups on the Sherpa track are mainly classified into agriculture, anti-corruption, culture, digital economy, disaster Reduction and development, education and employment fields. Experts and officials from relevant ministries lead in-depth analysis and discussions on a range of internationally relevant issues in respective areas of focus.

On the Finance track, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors lead the discussion amongst working groups and some of the key issues dealt with are global economic outlook and monitoring of global economic risks, financial architecture, international taxation, sustainable finance, investments in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response etc.

Engagement groups across various sectors comprising non-government participants from each G20 member provide recommendations to the G20 Leaders and contribute towards the policy-making process.

Essentially an international ‘economic’ cooperation forum

At its core, the G20 summit is a forum to discuss and deliberate on all things finance and economics. That is the main reason the entire G20 concept was established in the first place.

G20 came into existence in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of initially seven countries to meet and deliberate on the economic matters of the globe. The forum was upgraded to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007.

While the G20 has largely focused on broad macroeconomic issues, it has since expanded its agenda to other fields that include trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption.

A people’s G20 or a “posh” affair?

In the past, G20 summits and other international events have come under scrutiny for the amount of money that is invested into making invitees comfortable in the host country.

The recently concluded Climate Change Conference (COP27) came under fire from a few delegates after Egypt pulled all stops and hosted the event in the luxury resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh with its heated climate that necessitated the use of air-conditioning. 

The final summit of the 2022 G20 forum held in Indonesia was also hosted in the luxury resort of Apurva Kempinski in Bali. While developing countries prefer to boast their features through luxury accommodations and top of the class cuisines, the entire process has been known to leave the general public in the dark with a feeling of exclusivity. 

With the G20 presidency now in India, there has been a push to make the “common people” feel more involved. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after taking charge from Indonesian President Joko Widodo, emphasised on making this edition a ‘People’s G20’. 

In such an attempt, the government is planning to organise citizen engagement activities throughout the year. Thursday saw External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Principal secretary to the PM, P. K. Mishra attending a ‘University Connect’ virtual event with students from seventy-five universities participating. 

Award-winning sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik has also created sand art of India’s G20 logo on Puri beach in Odisha state.

The permanent G20 members comprise Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US, as well as the European Union.

G20 does not have a permanent secretariat. The Presidency is supported by the Troika – previous, current and incoming Presidency nations. During India’s Presidency, the troika will comprise Indonesia, India and Brazil, respectively. After the end of the final summit in September, India will pass on the presidency to Brazil and its leader. 

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Published December 6th, 2022 at 21:51 IST

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