Members of the G20 discussed ways to address disruptions and promote security of food, fuel and fertiliser supplies, on the third day of the first Sherpa Meeting of India’s G20 Presidency, in Udaipur on Tuesday.

“Strengthening and enhancing the mandate and resources of multilateral development banks, reforming the WTO, the importance of green hydrogen in achieving green energy transition including for hard-to-abate sectors and reformed multilateralism for greater peace and harmony, were some of the major areas of discussion,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Working groups

India assumed the one-year rotatory presidency of the G20 on December 1 and started off by hosting the three-day G20 Sherpas meeting in Rajasthan. Kant, on Tuesday, provided an overview of India’s G20 priorities across the six different working groups on agriculture, trade and investment, employment, anti-corruption, tourism and culture. “He emphasised the need for transformational efforts in agriculture, trade, employment and combating corruption and economic crimes,” the release said.

Discussions also took place on women-led development and the need to have women at the forefront of development. The interventions focussed on priorities such as reducing gender gaps, enhancing the capacity of women through education and skilling, promoting women in leadership roles and boosting female labour force participation. Leveraging the tourism sector to accelerate progress towards SDG achievement, and protection, promotion, and preservation of culture, as also restitution of cultural properties, were the other areas covered in the discussions, the statement said.

India’s G20 priorities during its presidency are inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth, women’s empowerment, digital public infrastructure, and tech-enabled development, climate financing, global food security and energy security, among others, according to the government.

G20 members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.

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