The New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Summit held on 9 to 10 September 2023 brought the deliberations under the G20 Presidency to a successful culmination. With the G20 including all the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P5 countries) and accounting for 85% of global GDP, 75% of world trade, and two-thirds of the world population, it was the highest-profile international gathering in the history of independent India.
The theme of the Indian G20 Presidency, One Earth, One Family, One Future, drawing upon the age-old belief of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, was endorsed by all. With over 200 meetings in 60 Indian cities in all the 28 States and eight Union Territories, across 40 different mechanisms, including the Sherpa and Finance Track Working Groups, as well as Engagement Groups, the size, scale, and scope of India’s G20 Presidency were unprecedented.
The substantive centrepiece of the G20 Summit was the New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Declaration (NDLD), adopted unanimously by all G20 countries on the first day of the summit. An action-orientated, decisive, inclusive, and ambitious declaration, it sets out the way forward on a wide range of prevailing global challenges. It is a historic milestone in India’s journey to assume its rightful place in the community of nations.
The NDLD reflects a uniquely Indian perspective of emphasising universal, equitable, and inclusive solutions to today’s problems. It sends out a message for peace, dialogue, diplomacy and hope, highlighting the Prime Minister’s clarion call that “Today’s era must not be of war”. Through it, India has successfully highlighted ideas, especially homegrown ideas, shaped global narratives and bridged divides.
