INDIA'S BET ON G20 PRESIDENCY

The G20 presidency this year provides India a strong platform to find wider support as the voice of the global south as it seeks to lead developing countries towards greater inclusion in global geopolitics and push back against the hegemony of the global north

- INDIRA GANDHI

INDIRA Gandhi’s speech in 1972 put the developed nations in the dock for not recognising the needs of the developing world for growth and instead blaming it for climate change. Until then, the voice of the global south—countries with lower economic growth—remained largely unheard in the corridors of power dominated by the global north—comprising developed nations—that decided the policy framework at the United Nations and other global forums.

At the Voice of Global South Summit in January this year, shortly after India took over the presidency of the Group of 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made clear his intention to use the platform to hold the global north accountable for the problems being faced by the countries in the global south and amplify the latter’s voice. The G20 was established in 1999 to bring together the world’s developed nations and some emerging economies to discuss issues related to the global economy. Around 125 countries from the region participated in the January summit which was held around the theme “Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose”.