UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 6, 2023. (Manuel ElÃas/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)
In overhauling the Council, its “working methods must also be updated so that it can make progress — even when members are sharply divided,” he said…reports Asian Lite News
Setting out his priorities for the year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his call to reform the Security Council to make it more representative in a multi-polar world that “is entering an age of chaos”.
Outlining the failures of the UN’s highest decision-making body, he said on Wednesday, “Indeed our world badly needs: Reform of the Security Council.”
In the New Agenda for Peace that he proposed for dealing with the challenges, “first and foremost, the United Nations Security Council must be able to take decisions and implement them, and it must become more representative,” he said in his address to the General Assembly on his priorities for the year.
In particular, he said that “it is totally unacceptable that the African continent is still waiting for a permanent seat” — a continent where most of the Council’s edicts on peace-keeping are focused.
Guterres introduced last year the New Agenda for Peace with five major points to deal with problems of peace and development.
In his critique of the Council, the UN Chief said, “The primary platform for questions of global peace is deadlocked by geopolitical fissures.”
This is the “worst” it has been and “today’s dysfunction is deeper and more dangerous,” he warned.
In overhauling the Council, its “working methods must also be updated so that it can make progress — even when members are sharply divided,” he said.
In one to the efforts in this direction, France, a permanent member of the Council, and Mexico have proposed that the permanent members voluntarily not use their vetoes in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and large-scale war crimes.
Mechanisms that were used to manage superpower relations during the Cold War are missing now, “and so our world is entering an age of chaos” creating “a dangerous and unpredictable ‘free-for-all’ with total impunity,” Guterres warned.
The polarised Council riven by rival vetoes of the permanent members from the East and the West, has been deadlocked on dealing with the many crises like the Ukraine War, the Hamas-Israel conflict and the Red Sea terrorism.
On a more positive note, he said that he sees “a truly dynamic effort to build a more effective, inclusive and renewed multilateralism tuned to the 21st century and our increasingly multipolar world”.
Guterres also called for reforming the international financial system.
In a tour of the troubled horizon, he pointed to the conflicts in the Red Sea, Gaza, Ukraine, and numerous spots in Africa, the dictatorship in Myanmar, the “lawlessness” in Haiti, the ethnic tensions in the Balkans, the climate crisis and the backsliding in moving towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
He suggested solutions to these multifarious problems and appealed for international cooperation.
Current unconditional NDCs imply that additional emissions cuts of 14 GtCO2e are needed in 2030 over predicted levels for two degrees…reports Asian Lite News
As global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions break records, the latest Emissions Gap Report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) finds that current pledges under the Paris Agreement put the world on track for a 2.5-2.9 degrees Celsius temperature rise above pre-industrial levels this century, pointing to the urgent need for increased climate action.
Released ahead of the 2023 climate summit in Dubai, the Emissions Gap Report 2023: Broken Record — Temperatures hit new highs, yet world fails to cut emissions (again), finds that global low-carbon transformations are needed to deliver cuts to predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions of 28 per cent for a two-degree pathway and 42 per cent for a 1.5-degree pathway.
“We know it is still possible to make the 1.5 degree limit a reality. It requires tearing out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels. And it demands a just, equitable renewables transition,” said Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General.
Maintaining the possibility of achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goals hinges on significantly strengthening mitigation this decade to narrow the emissions gap. This will facilitate more ambitious targets for 2035 in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and increase the chances of meeting net-zero pledges, which now cover around 80 per cent of global emissions.
“There is no person or economy left on the planet untouched by climate change, so we need to stop setting unwanted records on greenhouse gas emissions, global temperature highs and extreme weather,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
“We must instead lift the needle out of the same old groove of insufficient ambition and not enough action, and start setting other records: on cutting emissions, on green and just transitions and on climate finance.”
Until the beginning of October this year, 86 days were recorded with temperatures over 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
September was the hottest recorded month ever, with global average temperatures 1.8 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
The report finds that global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased by 1.2 per cent from 2021 to 2022 to reach a new record of 57.4 gigatonne of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (GtCO2e).
GHG emissions across the G20 increased by 1.2 per cent in 2022. Emission trends reflect global patterns of inequality. Because of these worrying trends and insufficient mitigation efforts, the world is on track for a temperature rise far beyond the agreed climate goals during this century.
If mitigation efforts implied by current policies are continued at today’s levels, global warming will only be limited to three degrees above pre-industrial levels in this century.
Fully implementing efforts implied by unconditional Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would put the world on track for limiting temperature rise to 2.9 degrees.
Conditional NDCs fully implemented would lead to temperatures not exceeding 2.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
All of these are with a 66 per cent chance. These temperature projections are slightly higher than in the 2022 Emissions Gap Report, as the 2023 report includes a larger number of models in the estimation of global warming.
Current unconditional NDCs imply that additional emissions cuts of 14 GtCO2e are needed in 2030 over predicted levels for two degrees.
Cuts of 22 GtCO2e are needed for 1.5 degrees.
The implementation of conditional NDCs reduces both these estimates by 3 GtCO2e.
In percentage terms, the world needs to cut 2030 emissions by 28 per cent to get on track to achieve the two degrees goal of the Paris Agreement, with a 66 per cent chance, and 42 per cent for the 1.5 degrees goal.
If all conditional NDCs and long-term net-zero pledges were met, limiting the temperature rise to two degrees would be possible.
However, net-zero pledges are not currently considered credible: none of the G20 countries are reducing emissions at a pace consistent with their net-zero targets.
Even in the most optimistic scenario, the likelihood of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees is only 14 per cent.
The WHO on Tuesday night also issued a statement on the attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital and reported large-scale casualties, strongly condemning the attack….reports Asian Lite News
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has issued a statement saying that the massive strike at Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that killed hundreds of people is “totally unacceptable”.
“Words fail me. Tonight, hundreds of people were killed — horrifically — in a massive strike at Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, including patients, healthcare workers and families, that had been seeking refuge in and around the hospital,” he said on Tuesday evening in the statement.
According to Palestinian sources, at least 500 Palestinians were killed. Local eyewitnesses told Xinhua that a rocket hit the hospital, with a huge explosion ripping through its premises, Xinhua news agency reported.
“We don’t yet know the full scale of this carnage, but what is clear is that the violence and killings must stop at once,” Turk said, adding that all countries with influence must do everything in their power to bring an end to this situation.
“Civilians must be protected, and humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those in need as a matter of urgency,” he stressed.
According to media reports, at least six people were also killed on Tuesday afternoon when a UN school was hit in a refugee camp in Gaza’s middle area. The school had been serving as a shelter for around 4,000 people seeking refuge.
The WHO on Tuesday night also issued a statement on the attack on Al Ahli Arab Hospital and reported large-scale casualties, strongly condemning the attack.
WHO stressed that the hospital was operational, with patients, healthcare workers, and internally displaced people sheltering there.
WHO said that the hospital was one of 20 in the north of the Gaza Strip facing evacuation orders from the Israeli military. The order for evacuation has been impossible to carry out given the current insecurity, critical condition of many patients, and lack of ambulances, staff, health system bed capacity, and alternative shelter for those displaced.
WHO calls for the immediate active protection of civilians and healthcare workers, stressing that evacuation orders must be reversed, and the international humanitarian law must be abided by, which means healthcare must be actively protected and never targetted.
In a news comment issued Tuesday night, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was shocked and horrified by reports that Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza was destroyed and hundreds were killed.
“Hospitals should be sanctuaries to preserve human life, not scenes of death and destruction. No patient should be killed in a hospital bed. No doctors should lose their lives while trying to save others. Hospitals must be protected under international humanitarian law,” it added.
Patient harm due to unsafe care is a large and growing global public health challenge, and one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide….reports Asian Lite News
This year, World Patient Safety Day 2023 is being celebrated around the theme “Engaging patients for patient safety”, in recognition of the central role that patients, their families and caregivers play in advancing safe care, reducing harm and preventing avoidable deaths.
With the slogan “Elevate the voice of patients”, World Patient Safety Day focuses on patient engagement in health care as a key strategy for delivering people-centred health services, reducing the burden of avoidable harm, strengthening health systems, enhancing health workers’ performance, reducing health care costs, and improving patient satisfaction, quality of life and health outcomes.
Patient harm due to unsafe care is a large and growing global public health challenge, and one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Globally, around one in 10 patients are harmed due to unsafe health care. More than 50% of that harm is preventable.
In low, and middle-income countries alone, it is estimated that 134 million adverse events occur annually due to unsafe care in hospitals contributing to around 2.6 million deaths.Almost half of the harm is attributed to medications, followed by invasive clinical procedures, surgical procedures, health care infections and diagnosis.”Every year, large numbers of patients are harmed or die because of unsafe health care, especially in low- and middle-income countries, including in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
It is now evident that harm can be reduced if patient engagement strategies and interventions are put in place,” said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
Further to the human loss, the economic burden of unsafe care is huge. In low- and middle-income countries, unsafe and poor-quality care leads to from US$ 1.4 trillion to 1.6 trillion worth of lost productivity each year.Additionally, the social cost of patient harm can be valued at US$ 1 trillion to 2 trillion a year.
Meaningful patient engagement can reduce the burden of harm by up to 15%, saving billions of dollars each year and consequently, could boost global economic growth by over 0.7% annually.Evidence shows that patient engagement reduces health care errors and costs, and improves health outcomes, health care delivery, quality of care and life.
The need is pressing to invest more in involving and empowering patients, engaging them and their families in patient safety in a scientific and strategic approach.The fourth strategic objective of the “Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030” states that “Engage and empower patients and families to help and support the journey to safer health care” and the Patients for Patient Safety Programme.
Despite that, patient engagement in patient safety continues to lag in practice. Findings from the Interim Member State Survey conducted to assess implementation of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan indicated a pressing need for policy and resource investment at national and subnational levels, as patients’ involvement and representation at various levels was unsatisfactory, and insights from patients, if obtained was not effectively used for improvement.
“Within the Eastern Mediterranean Region, WHO has played an active role within the global WHO movement, extending its impact through a diverse array of actions. Our endeavours have encompassed the development of both the Patient Safety Hospital and Primary Care Frameworks.
Proper implementation would support achievement of our regional vision of Health for All by All,” Dr Al-Mandhari added.On the occasion of World Patient Safety Day 2023, WHO calls on all stakeholders to take necessary actions to ensure that patients are involved in policy formulation, are represented in governance structures, are engaged in co-designing safety strategies, and are active partners in their own care.
Ahead of their visit, the security was tightened and the Delhi Traffic Police also made arrangements for the traffic…reports Asian Lite News
On the second day of the G20 summit, world leaders on Sunday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat here amid drizzle. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the world leaders at Rajghat with a gift of khaadi shawl.
US President Joe Biden, Premier of the People’s Republic of China Li Qiang were at Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and laid wreaths.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived at the Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Spain’s Vice-President Nadia Calvino Santamaria, Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, PM of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Deputy Prime Minister of Oman Asaad bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, World Bank President Ajay Banga, DG World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom at Rajghat.
The leaders paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and laid wreaths. The Rajghat was decorated with flowers to welcome the world leaders amid high security.
Ahead of their visit, the security was tightened and the Delhi Traffic Police also made arrangements for the traffic.
In a tweet, Delhi Traffic Police said, “Traffic Alert: Controlled Zone 2 has been implemented and consequently buses will not operate on Ring Road between ISBT Kashmiri Gate and Sarai Kale Khan.” “Buses will operate on remaining stretch of Ring Road and road network beyond Ring Road towards borders of Delhi,” it added.
The World leaders will now attend the second day of the G20 Summit here at the Bharat Mandapam.
India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 have been organized in 60 cities across the country….reports Asian Lite News
Apart from showcasing its rich culture, varied crafts and diverse cuisine at the G20 summit, India will also display its progress in the digital sector, a senior official said on Wednesday while noting that experience panels will be created for delegates to experience how UPI payments are made and how India has been leading in digital payments.
Muktesh K Pardeshi, Special Secretary, G20 Operations, told ANI in an interview that He also informed that the catering at the Convention Centre is being handled by the ITC and there is a lot of focus on cuisine, menu planning as well and service aspects.
He said not everybody is able to understand how India has been able to leapfrog in the sector of digital payment and delegates will also get to know how the CoWin app was developed and how over a billion people were connected with Aadhar.
“…the G20 meetings focusing on three Cs. But there is one unmistakable aspect of our approach. We are going to showcase progress in the field of the digital sector. So there’ll be an experience zone created to showcase the progress we have achieved in the field of technological transformation, particularly digital transformation,” he said.
“There will be some experience panels created for delegates to experience, for instance how UPI payment is done. People will get to know how biometric enrolment was done and one billion people were connected through Aadhar. How the CoWin app was developed. Not everybody is able to understand how India has been able to leapfrog in the sector of digital payment. So we want to showcase the modern face of India as well.”
G20 Summit will be held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.
“The catering at the Convention Centre is to be done by the ITC which is a leading hotel chain. They have created a large team comprising of chefs and other associates to not only have the menu ready, but also the service experience should be impeccable. So there’s a lot of focus on both the cuisine, the menu planning as well as the service aspect. And we have selected one of the best hotel chains for the purpose you want them to explore the street food of India,” Pardeshi said.
He said an exhibition named ‘Bharat, the Mother of Democracy’ is being organised to show the roots of democracy in India.
“There is another aspect of showcasing India. Not many people know that the democratic roots or democracy …as a concept of participatory governance. The roots are here and thousands of years back there were concepts of Sabha and Samiti. So democracy has not come from outside. It has evolved over a period of time in Indian soil. So there is going to be an exhibition called Bharat, the Mother of Democracy,” the senior official said.
He said there is ample parking place at New Delhi airport.
“We have been in touch with the Dial and GMR. The arrangements have been made both at the Palam Technical Area and at Indira Gandhi International Airport. So far as taking care of the logistical aspects is concerned we are a big country, we are resourceful and what we have gained over the last 8-10 months is a sense of organizational excellence,” he said.
India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 have been organized in 60 cities across the country.
He referred to directions of political leadership about reflecting the country’s organisational skills.
“We have to excel not only in promoting the G20 substantive agenda, we have to also showcase to the world that India is not behind any country in terms of organizational skills and logistical strengths. And I think it has been now recognized by all visiting delegations. We have done extremely well to offer our hospitality. All the meetings 200 so far have been error-free. There has been no incident,” he said.
“So we expect the forthcoming G20 summit to also be excellent, in terms of no glitches. We would like to conduct the meeting with a very high sense of warmth, and hospitality, taking care of our guests and at the same time showcasing what India has to offer in terms of civilizational and cultural space as well as an India that is technologically advancing and which has the capacity to make as a developed nation in another 25 years,” Pardeshi said.
The Special Secretary further said that there will also be separate programmes for the spouses accompanying the leaders.
“They will be taken to Rajghat, Pusa Institute, and as part of the programme, they are also likely to visit the National Gallery of Modern Art, where they will see exhibitions, and also have some kind of shopping experience, which is being specially curated for spouses,” he added.
Pardeshi further informed that a variety of different dishes are being prepared to showcase the regional cuisine of the country, and street foods of India.
“From the Government of India, it will be offering meals at the Convention Centre. So, you see a variety of dishes being served. Millet will find a prominent place on the menu. The chefs are working to develop different kinds of regional cuisine. They are experimenting and some menus are being developed at some point in time the decision will be taken,” he said.
“But the overall philosophy is that we should have exposure to street foods of India. We should have exposure to millet. And the delegates should also experience different regional cuisines of India. And also our chefs are experimenting with different kinds of grains, different kinds of vegetables and different kinds of dairy products to come up with very innovative dishes…Delhi itself is a leader in street food. What is being served in Chandni Chowk around some of the things the gol gappe or chat”.
The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. (ANI)
Pew polled 28,250 people in 23 countries between March and May, and 2,611 in India, over phone and Internet and in face-to-face interviews…reports Asian Lite News
A new poll conducted among people in more than 23 countries showed that India is generally viewed favourably by the world.
The poll also found that while most Indians said their country’s global influence has grown stronger in recent years, the rest of the world disagreed, and either saw no change in India’s standing or saw it get weaker.
At home in India, the 24th country polled for this survey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a commanding double-digit lead over his key challenger for premiership, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress.
The multi-nation poll was conducted by the Pew Research Center to assess India’s image in the world in the year of India’s presidency of the G-20, whose leaders will congregate in a few days in New Delhi for their annual summit.
Pew polled 28,250 people in 23 countries between March and May, and 2,611 in India, over phone and Internet and in face-to-face interviews.
The survey report released on Tuesday showed that a median of 46 per cent of the respondents held a favourable view of India and a median of 34 per cent held an unfavorable view.
Views about India were most positive in Israel (71 per cent), followed by the United Kingdom (66 per cent), Kenya (6 per cent), Nigeria (60 per cent), South Korea (58 per cent), (Japan (55 per cent), Australia (52 per cent), the United States (51 per cent) and Canada (47 per cent).
Holding a positive view of India did not, however, translate to believing India’s global clout is growing.
Only 29 per cent of the Israelis, 34 per cent of the respondents in the UK, 32 per cent in Japan and 23 per cent in the US said India’s clout has grown in recent years. In contrast, 68 per cent of Indians polled for the survey said their country’s global influence has grown in recent times.
Countries that did not view India positively were led surprisingly by South Africa (51 per cent saw India unfavorably), the Netherlands (48 per cent), Spain (49 per cent) and Austria (45 per cent).
In India, Prime Minister Modi turned in a chartbusting lead of 17 percentage points over Rahul Gandhi with 79 per cent to 62 per cent; he was also way ahead of other Congress leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The poll was started just before Rahul Gandhi was removed from the Parliament for his conviction in a defamation case (he has since been reinstated) and wrapped up before the Karnataka election results that gave a new thrust to the Congress party and its leader.
This poll may not be an updated reflection of the mood in India, having been conducted three months and many critical developments ago.
In other findings of the survey, Indians said they believed both the US and Russia — and they had a positive view of the country and its leader Vladimir Putin — had grown in influence in recent years. Four in 10 Indians said they felt China’s influence has grown stronger in contrast to three in 10 who said it has become weaker.
Views about Pakistan were predictably hostile. About seven in 10 Indians have an unfavorable view of Pakistan, with 57 per cent of them being very unfavorable towards Pakistan.
Merely 19% Indians have a favorable view of their western neighbors.
Garcetti said that he is excited to elevate India-US relations during his tenure as he completed 100 incredible days as the US ambassador to India…reports Asian Lite News
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, on Tuesday, said President Joe Biden told him that India is the most important country in the world to him.
“He (President Biden) told me, when he asked me to come here to serve, he said, this is the most important country in the world to me, I think something that no American president has ever uttered in the history of our two countries…Indian Americans constitute six per cent of taxpayers in the US…” Garcetti said.
The US Ambassador said: “From technology to trade, from the environment to women’s empowerment, from small businesses to space, we used to say the sky is the limit, but now that we’re working together in space, not even the sky is the limit. From the seabed to the heavens, the US and India are a force for good and a powerful force to move this world forward.”
Garcetti said he wanted to come to India for his junior year to live in Bodhgaya and do a Buddhist studies program. “But politics got in the way. I got elected to the student council, and I said I promised I’d serve. So my India dream kind of died, or so I thought. But the universe has a curious way of connecting people and dreams, and now suddenly, I’m living that dream here,” he added.
Earlier, on Friday, Garcetti said that he is excited to elevate India-US relations during his tenure as he completed 100 incredible days as the US ambassador to India.
While taking to his official social media account ‘X’, he stated, “Celebrating 100 incredible days as the US Ambassador to India! During my #First100Days, I have explored 12 Indian states & UTs, savoured 200+ delicious Indian dishes, and connected with amazing people. Thank you for the deep friendship and the warm welcome. I am excited to elevate #USIndia relations during my tenure!”
Not just the flavours are incredible, but the people have been so warm and welcoming, he added.
Garcetti also posted a video on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) where he shared a glimpse of his tour to Indian states and meeting people. He also thanked the country in the video and said, “Thank you, India for embracing me here as Ambassador and making my time here so welcoming and productive.” (ANI)
Sandhu reiterated that the success of the India-US partnership would not only benefit the two nations but also serve the global good…reports Asian Lite News
The Ambassador of India to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, delivered a speech at India House in which he underscored the importance of the India-US partnership and its potential impact on the global community.
Sandhu drew attention to India’s current presidency of the G-20 and its readiness to share its strengths and successes with the world.
“As the current president of the G-20, we are ready to share our strengths and successes with the world — from vaccines and skills to digital public good as well as what we learn from others,” Sandhu said.
He also emphasized the cooperation between India and the US in various domains, including under the Quad, I2U2, and IPEF frameworks.
“Our cooperation today touches every conceivable domain. Our cooperation today touches every conceivable domain; we are working closely under Quad, I2U2 and IPEF,” he said.
Sandhu expressed confidence in the ability of democracies to deliver and credited the diaspora for driving the partnership.
“Our diaspora has given more wings to our dreams and more winds to our sails. Ultimately, it is people of both countries that drive the India-US partnership. Your success is our success,” he said.
In conclusion, Sandhu reiterated that the success of the India-US partnership would not only benefit the two nations but also serve the global good.
Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India and the United States are building the foundations for a strong, peaceful and harmonious global community and said as she also wished that the relationship between the two countries grows from “strength to strength”.
Nirmala Sitharaman.(Credits:Twitter)
Speaking at India House, Sitharaman said, “We are together and building strong foundations for a strong, peaceful and harmonious global community.” “I wish this relationship between the United States of America and India grows from strength to strength, and all of us will surely contribute towards it,” she added.
At the reception, United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Sandhu, and coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs in the National Security Council, Kurt Campbell were also present.
In the reception, Union Finance Minister also spoke about the diversity and the celebration of various festivals to mark the new day of the year. She said, “It’s very inspiring to see energetic people before me, each coming to celebrate their own Vishu, Ugadi, Navroz. But all in India House. India houses all of these people. And we’ve always had this diversity. It’s a country which loves celebrations, celebrating and recognizing its diversity even as we are doing all this per the Auspicious calendar, each one of us follows either based on the sun, moon, or horoscope. So they are all around the same time.”
According to the former ambassador to the Netherlands, the themes outlined by India for its presidency have green development and climate change mitigation at the top of the list…reports Asian Lite News
India has set priorities for its G20 Presidency which will benefit the global south, former diplomat J S Mukul said on Monday. India assumed the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022, to 30 November 2023.
“We don’t forget our friends in the global south. That’s why the prime minister held a virtual summit of 125 countries to set the agenda for India’s presidency. India, as the host, has invited organisations and countries from the global south. It shows the priorities,” he said in his keynote address at a G20 University Connect event organised by the Central University of Kashmir.
He said events had been scheduled in 50 cities of the country to showcase “Incredible India as the mother of democracy”.
According to the former ambassador to the Netherlands, the themes outlined by India for its presidency have green development and climate change mitigation at the top of the list.
“The global south needs technical support and finances to meet the challenges of climate change. The developed countries had agreed to pay USD 100 bn a year for mitigation of climate change. That would be one area where India would press,” he said.
Mukul said India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that adversity can also be dealt with positively.
“The CoWin app through which 2 billion vaccine doses were given and UPI payments were used. The pandemic has brought to fore the importance of IT and digital infrastructure,” he said.
Other areas of priority will be developed countries coming good on their commitment of spending 0.7 per cent of their GDP for sustainable development, food security especially in the global south, reform in multilateral institutions including the UN and gender equality, he added.
Discussions focused on #G20's role in accelerating #SDGs, #LiFE, Capacity Building for #D4D, Green Transitions, Women-led Development & enhancing international relations. Delegates witnessed the heritage & culinary variety of #Kerala. #G20Indiapic.twitter.com/GaeDh0O04q
R R Bhatnagar, Advisor of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, said the G20 gives an opportunity to the union territory administration to showcase the tourism potential.
“Next month from 22nd May we have working group on tourism. As we all know tourism is major sector for J&K, it will be our opportunities to showcase J&K as a outstanding tourist destination which can match any destination in the world,” he said. Bhatnagar said in J&K, there has been “a new dawn of peace, progress and growth”.
“It is a new opportunity for everybody to participate especially our youth who are going to be the leaders of tomorrow,” he added.
