PM addresses G20 Development Ministers’ meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting via video message. Addressing the gathering, he welcomed everyone to Varanasi, the oldest living city of the mother of democracy, an official press release said.

Highlighting the significance of Kashi, the Prime Minister said that it has been the center of knowledge, discussion, debate, culture, and spirituality for centuries while it also has the essence of India’s diverse heritage serving as a convergence point for people from all parts of the country. He expressed delight that the G20 development agenda has reached Kashi as well.

“Development is a core issue for the Global South,” the Prime Minister remarked as he pointed out that the countries of the Global South were severely impacted by the disruptions created due to the global Covid pandemic while geopolitical tensions were responsible for food, fuel, and fertilizer crises. In such circumstances, he continued, the decisions you make are significant for humanity as a whole.

Modi emphasized that it is the collective responsibility of people to not let the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fall behind. He further added that the Global South must send a strong message to the world about the action plan required to achieve this.

The Prime Minister underlined that our efforts must be comprehensive, inclusive, fair, and sustainable, and attempts should be made to increase investment in fulfilling the SDGs and also finding solutions to address the debt risks faced by many countries. The Prime Minister remarked that multilateral financial institutions should be reformed to expand the eligibility criteria to ensure that finance is accessible to those in need.

In India, the Prime Minister said, we have made efforts to improve people’s lives in more than a hundred aspirational districts which were pockets of underdevelopment. He added that these districts have now emerged as the catalysts of growth in the country. He urged the G20 Development Ministers to study this model of development. “It may be relevant as you work towards accelerating Agenda 2030,” he added.

Highlighting the issue of the growing data divide, the Prime Minister said that high-quality data are critical for meaningful policy making, efficient resource allocation, and effective public service delivery. He said that the democratization of technology is a crucial tool to help bridge the data divide. In India, digitization has brought about a revolutionary change where technology is being used as a tool to empower people, make data accessible, and ensure inclusivity.