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Context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed six new initiatives aimed at global development at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

What is G20? 

The Group of Twenty (G20) is a leading international forum to address crucial global challenges, including international financial stability, climate change, and sustainable development.

Formation (1999): Initially established in 1999 following the Asian financial crisis as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors.

• Elevated to a Leaders’ Summit in 2008 in response to the global financial crisis.

Membership and Global Influence

• The G20 currently comprises 21 members: 19 individual countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU).
• The African Union (AU) was made a permanent member at the 2023 New Delhi Summit.
• Spain is a permanent invitee.
• The G20 President also extends invitations to other guest countries and international organizations (e.g., UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO).
• Collectively, G20 members account for approximately:
• 85% of global GDP
• Over 75% of global trade
• About two-thirds of the world's population

Organizational Structure

• Operates without a permanent secretariat or a dedicated headquarters.
• Leadership is managed through a rotating annual presidency among member nations.
• The transition is overseen by the Troika, involving the past, present, and incoming presidencies to ensure continuity.
• 2025 Troika: Brazil (2024), South Africa (2025), and the United States (2026).

Six initiatives proposed by PM Modi at South Africa G20 Summit are:

Global Traditional Knowledge Repository to document and preserve time-tested traditional wisdom for sustainable living and well-being.

Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative with the goal of producing one million certified trainers across Africa over the next decade to build local capacity and foster long-term development.

Global Healthcare Response Team to consist of trained medical experts from member nations, ready for rapid deployment during health emergencies and natural disasters.

Initiative on Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus to address drug trafficking, including dangerous substances like fentanyl, and disrupt the associated "drug-terror economy" by bringing together various financial, governance, and security instruments.

Open Satellite Data Partnership to make satellite data and analysis from G20 space agencies more accessible to developing countries for use in fields such as agriculture, fisheries, and disaster management.

Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative to promote recycling, urban mining, second-life battery projects, and other innovations to strengthen supply chain security and support clean energy transitions. 

Potential Implementation Challenges

G20 Consensus: Achieving unanimous agreement among G20 members, who have diverse economic and geopolitical interests, will require diplomatic effort.

Financial Mobilization: Establishing these large-scale programs requires a sustainable funding model, which could be challenging to negotiate among member states.

Institutional Frameworks: Creating new global bodies requires robust, transparent, and impartial governance structures, which can be complex to design and implement.

Data Sovereignty: Initiatives like the Open Satellite Data Partnership will need to address legitimate concerns about data privacy, security, and potential dual-use.

Conclusion

The G20 has evolved from a crisis-response forum to the central pillar of global economic governance, with its future effectiveness depending on navigating geopolitical friction and translating consensus into tangible actions for inclusive global growth.

Source: NEWSONAIR