External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday underscored the increasing relevance of India in world affairs.
Addressing the youth at G20 University Connect - Engaging Young Minds event held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi, to push forward India's G-20 presidency agenda, he said, "India's example is of increasing relevance to others. Whether it is our last mile delivery using digital platforms, our way of responding to the Covid or indeed the transformation in green and clean energy."
He said that "there are very good reasons why today's world is taking a much deeper interest in us. The G20 presidency offers an opportunity to share our story with others, particularly those who may transpose some of our experiences on their performance or challenges."
Pushing India's agenda in G-20, he said, "During our G20 Presidency, we will spotlight LiFE, with its associated, environmentally sustainable and responsible choices, at the level of individual lifestyles as well as national development."
The idea of LiFE was introduced by India during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021.
The idea promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on 'mindful and deliberate utilisation' instead of 'mindless and wasteful consumption'.
"Pro-planet people adopting fundamentally sustainable lifestyles will change the way we do business in the 21st century. India will seek to be a catalyst of that change," said EAM S Jaishankar.
With the launch of the mission, the prevalent "use-and-dispose" economy governed by mindless and destructive consumption will be replaced by a circular economy, defined by conscious and deliberate consumption.
Jaishankar further said that the G20 is a diverse platform that seeks to forge common ground on key issues amongst prominent countries.
"Our endeavour is to make that consensus more relevant through a wider process of consultation. As the mother of democracy, India's G20 presidency will be consultative, collaborative and decisive," said the EAM.
Jaishankar also emphasized India becoming the voice of the Global South and expressing their concerns on fuel, food and fertilizers.
"We share too the apprehension that sustainable development, climate action and climate justice could be sidetracked due to more dominant issues," said Jaishankar.
Speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict, he said, "Our G20 presidency is taking place at a very critical moment in international affairs. Over the last three years, we have seen the economic and social devastations caused by the Covid pandemic, quite apart from its human toll. It has aggravated the financial position of developing countries, undermined the pursuit of sustainable development goals and created a health divide between developed and developing countries. To this were added the knock-on effects of the Ukraine conflict, especially, the difficulties in the availability and affordability of fuel, food and fertilizers."
He urged world leaders to focus on the right issues, especially those that affect the more vulnerable sections of the world.
"Our G20 Presidency is taking place at a very critical moment in international affairs. G-20 is not just the collective weight of participants. The very process of holding it is uniquely impactful. The world will get to know India better and our citizens will develop a sharper appreciation of it," said Jaishankar.
He also talked about the representative and democratic international order, he said, "A representative and democratic international order must press for change, not just in the United Nations but in other international institutions as well. We must also recognise that global order today isn't truly reflective of the state of the world. Institutions and practices created 75 years ago still dominate global decision-making."
( With inputs from ANI )
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