Second G20 Sherpa meeting focuses on the group's economic and development priorities

The second G20 Sherpa meeting is being held from 30 March to 2 April in the picturesque village of Kumarakom, Kerala, under the chairmanship of India.

The event is chaired by Indian G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. During the four-day meeting, more than 120 delegates from G20 member countries, nine invited countries as well as various international and regional organisations will hold multi-stakeholder discussions on G20 economic and development priorities as well as addressing contemporary global challenges.

The discussions will focus on policy approaches as well as concrete implementation, as reported by ANI, a partner of TV BRICS.

The second Sherpa meeting focuses on a number of cross-cutting issues of global interest and covers the work being done through 13 working groups in the Sherpa track, said the release. Discussions at the Sherpa meetings will form the basis of the Leaders' Declaration scheduled to be adopted at the summit in New Delhi in September.

The meeting began on 30 March with two high-level side events on digital public infrastructure and green development.

Ongoing discussions under India's G20 Presidency include green development, climate finance and lifestyle for the environment (LiFE); accelerated, inclusive and sustainable growth; accelerated progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); technological transformation and digital public infrastructure.

These priorities reflect the needs of the global South as articulated by the 125 participating countries at the first ever Voice of the Global South Summit, hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2023.

The G20 presidency is an opportunity to demonstrate its diplomatic capabilities and leadership on global issues.

India's desire to play a leading role in world affairs reflects its desire to be seen as a major player on the world stage. As a member of the G20 and a rising Asian power, India can influence global decision-making on a wide range of issues.
India, during its presidency of the G20, is positioning itself as the voice of the Global South and trying to raise topics of relevance to the region.

India's G20 Presidency is also seen as an opportunity for India's ruling political party to showcase its achievements and diplomatic reach ahead of India's general elections in 2024. The Indian Presidency is expected to be an important factor in Prime Minister Modi's election campaign, seeking to appear as an outstanding statesman from a powerful country that can lead the G20 to success by overcoming geopolitical rivalries and competition, as well as building consensus on a range of global issues and concerns.

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