G20 Summit 2023 Highlights: G20 passes Delhi Declaration, India launches Global Biofuels Alliance and more takeaways from Day 1

In a historic development, the New Delhi Declaration was adopted on Saturday by the leaders of the G20 leaders during the Leader’s Summit here in the national capital.

The biggest takeaway of the declaration was that all 83 paras of the declaration were passed unanimously with a 100 per cent consensus along with China and Russia in agreement. For the first time, the declaration contained no footnote or Chair’s Summary.

Also, the declaration being the most ambitious, contained 112 outcomes — both the outcomes and annexed documents — which is two-and-a-half- times more than any other.

Another big takeaway of the declaration was the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance

PM Modi on Saturday launched the Global Biofuels Alliance in the presence of US President Joe Biden, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio, President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni.

The Global Biofuel Alliance is one of the priorities under India’s G20 Presidency.

Brazil, India, and the United States, as leading biofuel producers and consumers, will work together during the next few months towards the development of a Global Biofuels Alliance along with other interested countries.

Another major takeaway was the announcement launch of a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor by India, the US, Saudi Arabia and the European Union.

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEE EC) will encourage and provide impetus to economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between Asia, West Asia/Middle East and Europe.

The corridor will consist of two separate corridors (i) East Corridor connecting India to West Asia/Middle East and (ii) Northern Corridor connecting West Asia/Middle East to Europe.

It will include a rail line that, which upon completion, will provide a reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship-to-rail transit network to supplement the existing multi-modal transport routes enhancing transshipment of goods and services between South East Asia through India to West Asia/Middle East Europe.

Notably, a major and historic takeaway of India’s presidency of the G20 Summit has been the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 (G20).

“With everyone’s approval, I request the African Union Chairperson to take his seat as a permanent G20 member,” PM Modi said welcoming the AU at G20.