G20 summit in Mumbai: Day One highlights of Development Working Group’s meeting

In Mumbai, the Development Working Group (DWG) is currently holding its first meeting since India assumed the G20 Presidency. The three-day meeting will be centred on G20 collaborative steps for advancing progress on the SDGs and support for poor nations in addressing pressing challenges linked to food, fuel, and fertiliser security.

The D4D side event also hosted two breakout sessions on ‘Rejuvenating Legacy Systems: From Data to Public Value Intelligence’ and ‘Models for the Future: Leveraging IoT, Big Data, and AI for the SDGs’ which were attended by participants from various walks of life.

In this session, the discussion focused on how India’s LiFE effort may spur multilateral action to achieve the SDGs. Collective climate action and LIFE are the goals of India’s G20 presidency.The Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) and the UNEP worked together to organise the event (UNEP).

India’s G20 Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant said “LiFE is critical because a country like India will see rapid urbanisation and individual and collective behaviour will make all the difference.”

“Financial inclusion is a strong weapon for development,” Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands remarked in her keynote address as the UN Secretary-Special General’s Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.

Her Majesty the Queen of Bhutan Jetsun Pema congratulated India on assuming its G20 Presidency.

The side event featured two fireside discussions about how LiFE could support the SDGs and the manner in which it might facilitate sustainable economic development. Inspirational speakers included the UN Assistant Secretary-General and the head of UNEP (New York). Moreover, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, sent a video message as well.

The CEO of NITI Aayog, Shri Parameswaran Iyer, also gave a presentation on LiFE, while the CEO of CEEW, Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, gave the keynote address.

A cultural programme featuring the Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra marked the conclusion of the first day of the G20 summit in India. A 50-member troupe’s energetic Puneri dhol performance, which featured the majority of women, was a pleasant surprise on this occasion. The Gateway of India, which was illuminated with a G20 logo projection, was also shown to delegates during a guided tour.

The G20 Presidency is held by India until November 30, 2023. India will host over 200 meetings in over 50 cities across 32 work streams.

In addition to India, the G20 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

Source: PIB Mumbai

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET Edge Insights, its management, or its members

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