Abiding by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal of “sabka saath (with everyone)” for global good and a major achievement under India’s G20 presidency, the African Union on Saturday became a new permanent member of the grouping. It is the first expansion of the influential bloc since its inception in 1999.
This far-reaching step at India’s initiative was taken on the inaugural day of the G20 summit here with Modi during his inaugural remarks asking President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, to join other leaders at the high table. It makes the 55-member bloc the second multi-nation grouping after the European Union to be a permanent member of the G20. Now, the influential bloc may be referred to as G21.
In another major victory for India as head of the G20, Modi announced the adoption of the New Delhi Leaders Declaration. It came amid increasing tensions and divergent views over the Ukraine conflict.
The announcement about the consensus on the declaration and its subsequent adoption came hours after India circulated a new text to the G20 countries to describe the Ukraine conflict.
“Friends, we have just got good news, with the hard work of our teams, and with the cooperation of you all, there is consensus on the New Delhi G20 Summit Leaders Declaration,” Modi told the leaders at the summit.
“I announce that this declaration is adopted (Banged the gavel thrice),” he announced.
Modi also flagged concern over prevailing distrust in the world in the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine conflict and urged the leaders to turn the global trust deficit into confidence in each other and find new solutions to age-old challenges.
As regards inclusion of the African Union, Modi said,
“In keeping with the sentiment of ‘sabka saath’ (with everyone), India had proposed that the African Union should be given permanent membership of the G20. I believe we all are in agreement on this proposal...,” at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the Summit.
“Before moving forward with the proceedings, I would like to invite the president of the African Union to take his place as a permanent member of the G20,” he said amid thunderous applause by the gathering of world leaders.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar then escorted Assoumani to take his seat at the G20 high table. Before taking his seat, Assoumani shared a warm handshake and hug with Modi.
In a post on X later, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “Advancing a more inclusive G20 that echoes the aspirations of the Global South! PM @narendramodi extends a heartfelt welcome to President @_AfricanUnion and the President of Comoros Azali Assoumani.” “Thrilled to have the African Union as a permanent member. A milestone for the G20 family indeed,” it said.
All member countries of the G20 accepted Modi’s proposal to bring the key bloc of the Global South to the high table of the world’s top economies.
“Honoured to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 Family. This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South,” Modi posted on X along with a video of him announcing that the African Union has become a permanent member of the G20.
In the last few years, India has been positioning itself as a leading voice, flagging concerns, challenges and aspirations of the Global South, or developing nations, especially the African continent.
The Prime Minister was leading from the front on the issue of the African Union’s membership of the G20. In June, Modi wrote to G20 leaders to pitch for according to the African Union full membership of the grouping at its New Delhi summit.
Weeks later, the proposal was formally included in the draft communique for the summit during the third G20 Sherpas meeting in Hampi, Karnataka, in July.
As G20 president, India has been focusing on issues like inclusive growth, digital innovation, climate resilience, and equitable global health access with an aim to benefit the Global South or the developing countries. In January, India hosted the Voice of the Global South Summit with an aim to highlight the problems and challenges facing the developing countries.
The Addis Ababa-headquartered African Union (AU) comprises the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.
It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity, Africa’s first post-independence continental institution set up in 1963 with 32 members. Collectively, African Union member states have a GDP of nearly USD 3 trillion and a population of around 1.4 billion.
US President Joe Biden, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are among those attending the two-day G20 Summit here.
The chiefs of many leading global bodies such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Health Organisation are also participating in the conference.
After assuming presidency of the bloc on December 1, India held around 200 meetings related to the G20 across the country on a range of its priority areas.
The G20 member countries represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
Besides the African Union, the G20 grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).
The G20 was founded in 1999 after a financial crisis as a forum for the Finance Ministers and Central bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues. It was upgraded to the level of heads of States and Governments in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007. In 2009, it was designated the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.
Meanwhile, in his opening remarks at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Modi exuded confidence and said if the world could defeat Covid, it could also triumph over the trust deficit caused by the war.
“It is time for all of us to walk together for global good,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the ‘One Earth’ session of the G20 Leaders Summit.
“Following the Covid pandemic, the world faced a new challenge of trust deficit and unfortunately, the wars have further deepened this,” he said.
“But we must remember that if we can defeat a pandemic like Covid, we can also win over the challenge of this trust deficit. Today, as the president of the G20, India calls upon the entire world to turn this global trust deficit into trust and confidence,” Modi said.
“This is a time when age-old challenges are calling for new solutions from us. And therefore, with a human-centric approach, we have to move forward to fulfil our responsibilities,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister informed the participants that it had become a people’s G20 in India with over 200 events held in more than 60 cities.
“For all challenges, right from the upheaval in the global economy to the North-South divide, from food management to fuel and fertiliser management, from terrorism to cyber security, from health to energy and water security, we have to move towards concrete solutions, together,” Modi said. He is chairing the G20 summit.
On the New Delhi Declaration, the Prime Minister said, “On this occasion, I convey my heartfelt thanks to ministers, sherpas and all officials who worked hard to make this possible and they are worthy of being praised.”
Hailing the breakthrough, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant posted on X, “Historical and Path breaking #G20 Declaration with 100 per cent consensus on all developmental and geo-political issues. The new geopolitical paras are a powerful call for Planet, People, Peace and Prosperity in today’s world . Demonstrates PM @narendramodi leadership in today’s world.”
The G20 countries agreed on the new text to describe the Ukraine conflict that was circulated by India on Saturday morning, sources said.
There was no consensus on the text to describe the Ukraine issue at the G20 Sherpa meeting that took place in Nuh district of Haryana from September 3-6. The G20 operates under the principle of consensus.
Both Russia and China had agreed to the two paragraphs on the Ukraine conflict in the Bali declaration, but they backtracked from it this year creating difficulties for India.
Almost all key meetings held under India’s G20 presidency, including those of Finance and Foreign Ministers, could not come out with consensus documents in view of opposition from Russia and China to any text referring to the Ukraine conflict.
