Delhi G20 raises the bar for Brazil

Will Lula have the same energy necessary to maintain the momentum of the G20 established by Modi?

The G20 Summit held last weekend was a triumph of India’s ability to organise events. That’s not a quality that India is normally noted for. But getting together officials from 60 different countries and getting them to agree on a consensus is an outstanding achievement for which Indian officials and politicians deserve applause. Now comes the struggle to implement all the commitments which have emerged. The Delhi Declaration has as many as 83 paragraphs, many covering financial issues, some of them notoriously divided environmental issues. The commitments to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement indicate how difficult implementing green commitments are.

The G20 Summit held last weekend was a triumph of India’s ability to organise events (PTI)

Former United States (US) President Donald Trump had once disagreed strongly with a G20 agreement. This was not the same under Biden, but will it be the same after next year’s US Presidential election? Biden has said he intends to stand as the Presidential nominee for the Democrats. But Trump remains the most popular candidate for the Republicans in spite of his legal entanglements. Whoever emerges as an actual Republican candidate is unlikely to be interested in a group which is trying to make itself known as the voice of the developing countries. So Brazilian president Lula da Silva might well find himself missing a prop that Modi found so useful. The sustainable progress of the developed nations is not satisfactory anyhow. The Delhi Declaration has had to call on them to fulfil the target of $100 billion per annum in climate financing they are committed to provide.

Although Ukraine is disappointed with the G20’s statement on the war that Russia is waging against it, it was an achievement to secure any agreement at all on this front. But it does have to be said that there is nothing in the Delhi Declaration that will bring an end to the Ukraine war and all the suffering, both human and economic, that comes with it. So sadly, there is no pressure on Russia to comply with this section of the declaration.

The Indian Prime Minister (PM) has demonstrated that he is well aware of the need to keep up the momentum generated by the summit. As India holds the presidency for another two months, PM Modi has proposed that there should be a virtual summit in November. In November, the Brazilian president is going to take over the G20 presidency. He has said that he will raise inequality as the core issue for the next G20 process. He, like Modi, intends to take the summit to different parts of his country. But the success of the Delhi Summit owes a great deal to the way the PM has owned it. Will Lula have the same energy necessary to maintain the momentum of the G20 established by Modi?

Modi was the star of this summit while the other star was the United States President Joe Biden. He was given due prominence by Modi. But journalists complained that while he was in India he didn’t say anything about the questions they have been raising: Respect for human rights in India, and the treatment of civil society and the media. However, when he reached Vietnam, the only other place he visited on his tour, Biden said that he “raised the importance of respecting human rights and the vital role that civil society and a free press have in building a strong and prosperous country with Mr Modi”. Pressure from the international media on these issues could damage the implementation of the Delhi Declaration.

What about the people of India and how are they taking the Delhi summit? The capitalists, I am sure, will continue rejoicing in Modi’s success. And then there was a driver who told me, “It was a complete waste of money.” There may be many other less fortunate Indians who share his view. Looking ahead, I think the Delhi Declaration will only benefit Modi in the general election if he can show that it is benefiting the people of India.

The views expressed are personal