The annual G20 summit is fast approaching, and representatives from member states will be heading to New Delhi in less than a month.
Short for the Group of 20, the G20 consists of 19 countries as well as the European Union. The aim of the annual meeting is for world leaders to discuss global issues relating to the environment, trade and the economy.
This year, it is also the first time that the summit will be held in south Asia. All eyes will be on India’s PM, Narendra Modi, as his country prepares to welcome the world’s most influential heads of state.
So what can we expect from the upcoming G20 summit? Here’s what you need to know.
When is the G20 summit 2023 happening?
The G20 summit will take place on September 9 and 10. It will consist of multiple meetings and discussions between heads of state, invitees and various officials.
Where is the G20 summit being held?
The G20’s presidency rotates every year. As this year’s presidency is held by India, the summit will take place in New Delhi.
It has been reported that the summit will be hosted at the newly built Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention Centre (IECC). The IECC is the country’s largest conference centre and features multiple auditoriums, meeting rooms and event spaces. Preparation is already well underway to ensure security and safety in the surrounding location.
The summit lasts two days and is the culmination of many meetings and conferences throughout the year. Speaking about India’s presidency, Modi explained that the country has built numerous venues for it.
“We did not confine G-20 to just one city or one place. We took the G-20 meetings to more than 50 cities in the country. We showcased India’s diversity through this. We showed the world what is India’s cultural power, what is India’s heritage,” Modi said.
“New facilities were built in many cities for G-20 meetings and old facilities were modernised. This benefited the country and the people of the country. This is good governance. We are going to make India developed by following the spirit of Nation First, Citizen First.”
Who is attending the G20 summit?
The G20 cohort is made up of leaders from the EU, as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US.
India’s PM will be joined by many prominent world leaders including Joe Biden, who confirmed his attendance this week. Rishi Sunak is also reportedly ”looking forward” to attending.
So far, few other leaders have confirmed their attendance but most are expected to travel to New Delhi for the two-day event. According to a recent NBC report, the Kremlin has suggested that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, hasn’t ruled out attending despite his invasion of Ukraine.
A number of other countries’ representatives have reportedly been invited to attend the G20 by Indian officials, who are understood to include leaders from Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the UAE.
Other organisations that will be attending the G20 summit include representatives from the United Nations, IMF and the World Health Organization.
What is the focus of the summit?
The theme of this year’s G20 presidency is One Earth, One Family, One Future.
According to India’s ministry of earth sciences, the theme comes from a Sanskrit scripture known as the Maha Upanishad. Leaning on the topic of sustainability and preserving our environment, India’s goal has been to highlight the importance of all human, animal and plant life.
Topics that India wants to focus on during its G20 presidency include:
- green development, climate finance and the EU’s programme for the environment and climate action (known as LIFE)
- accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth
- progress on sustainable development goals
- technological transformation and digital public infrastructure
- multilateral institutions for the 21st century
- female-led development
The history behind the G20 summit
The G20 was set up in 1999 as a way for global financial representatives to discuss economic and financial issues. The summits, which take place at least once a year, began in 2008 when invitations were extended to heads of state and government, At that time the financial crisis was the main topic. Since then, discussion topics have expanded to cover a wealth of pressing issues that affect the planet.
Previous G20 summits were held in:
- Washington DC, US – 2008
- London, UK – 2009
- Pittsburgh, US – 2009
- Toronto, Canada – 2010
- Seoul, South Korea – 2010
- Cannes, France – 2011
- Los Cabos, Mexico – 2012
- Saint Petersburg, Russia – 2013
- Brisbane, Australia – 2014
- Antalya, Turkey – 2015
- Hangzhou, China – 2016
- Hamburg, Germany – 2017
- Buenos Aires, Argentina – 2018
- Osaka, Japan – 2019
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 2020
- Rome, Italy – 2021
- Bali, Indonesia – 2022
