United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak announced a groundbreaking commitment to climate aid as the G20 summit in India comes to a close. The UK is pledging an unprecedented $2 billion contribution to the Green Climate Fund, marking the largest individual funding commitment ever made by the UK to combat global climate change. Specifically, the United Kingdom will allocate £1.62 billion (equivalent to $2 billion) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), an entity established by 194 nations in the wake of the Copenhagen Accord during COP15. This announcement was made by the British High Commission in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United States President Joe Biden, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and various other world leaders and representatives of international organizations gathered at Delhi’s Rajghat to offer their respects to Mahatma Gandhi and place a wreath in his honor.
The President of the Asian Development Bank, Masatsugu Asakawa, along with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the IMF, and various other prominent leaders and delegates, have convened at Delhi’s Rajghat. They have gathered to show their respect to Mahatma Gandhi and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty made their way to the Akshardham temple in Delhi on a Sunday morning to partake in a prayer ceremony.
Sunak, who is currently in Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit, publicly identified himself as a devout Hindu during a media event on Friday. He had expressed his desire to visit a temple while staying in the nation’s capital.
The long-anticipated G20 Leader’s Summit kicked off on September 9, 2023, in New Delhi, with leaders from around the globe convening at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition and Convention Centre.
On day 2, leaders and delegation heads will arrive at Rajghat around 8: 15 am in separate motorcades. From 9:00 am to 9:20 am, the leaders will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi, accompanied by a live performance of Mahatma Gandhi’s beloved devotional songs.
India achieved a significant diplomatic victory during the G20 summit on Saturday by successfully securing a consensus declaration, despite significant differences regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need to address the “global trust deficit” during this summit and also disclosed that the African Union had been granted permanent membership in the G20.
The G20 Leaders’ Declaration, under India’s presidency, emphasized the importance of avoiding war in today’s era. It called upon all nations to uphold the principles of international law, including respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and advocated for initiatives aimed at achieving “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine.” The use or threat of nuclear weapons was strongly condemned.
Prime Minister Modi announced the consensus on the 37-page declaration at the beginning of the summit’s second session. This announcement followed India’s distribution of a revised text concerning the Ukraine conflict to member countries.
Modi expressed his satisfaction, stating, “Friends, we have just received good news. With the diligent efforts of our teams and the cooperation of all, we have reached a consensus on the New Delhi G20 Summit Leaders’ Declaration.” He further declared the adoption of the declaration by banging the gavel three times and emphasized the historic nature of this achievement, highlighting unity and collaborative efforts among the G20 members.
In addition to the Ukraine issue, the G20 leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for enhanced international cooperation to combat terrorist groups, denying them safe havens, freedom of operations, and financial or political support, recognizing it as a grave threat to global peace and security.
The leaders also stressed the importance of strong, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth as a response to the uneven recovery from the pandemic and highlighted the need for substantial financial commitments to support countries in achieving their climate goals and advancing clean energy technologies.
Furthermore, the G20 expressed its condemnation of acts of religious hatred against individuals, religious symbols, and holy texts, while emphasizing the importance of religious freedom, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful assembly.
Prime Minister Modi’s opening remarks called upon world leaders to bridge the “global trust deficit” and shared the news of the African Union’s accession to permanent G20 membership. This development, endorsed by all G20 member countries, not only strengthens the G20 but also amplifies the voice of the Global South. The African Union, collectively representing a GDP of nearly USD 3 trillion and a population of approximately 1.4 billion people, becomes the first expansion of the G20 since its establishment in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis.
