Sherpa Amitabh Kant says Leaders’ Declaration ‘almost ready’

Ahead of the G20 summit, India on Friday said the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is “almost ready” and will be recommended to the leaders of the grouping during the conclave.

India also said its presidency of the G20 has lived up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of being inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented and very decisive.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the two-day summit beginning Saturday, India’s G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant said New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration will be the voice of the global south and developing countries.

Prime Minister Modi had asserted India’s presidency should be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented and decisive, he said.

“These are the four principles on which we have worked. We have lived up to his vision of being inclusive, action-oriented, ambitious and very decisive during our presidency,” Kant said.

“Our New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is almost ready, I would not like to dwell on it because this declaration will be recommended to the leaders during the Summit and the leaders will then accept it and only after it is accepted by the leaders, we will be able to talk about the actual achievements of this declaration,” he said.

Over 220 G20-related meetings were held in 60 cities across the country, showcasing India’s diversity and federal structure, Kant said.

India is set to make a dash for a goal line at the two-day G20 summit beginning Saturday in addressing some of the complex global challenges such as concerns of the Global South, consequences of the Ukraine conflict, gloomy economic scenario, and fostering inclusive growth amid a fragmented geopolitical environment.

Modi, US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders of the G20 grouping as well as chiefs of many leading world bodies like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are converging in the national capital for the summit.