China, which had strongly opposed in the negotiations leading up to the G-20 Summit any direct references to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, finally backed the New Delhi Declaration and reaffirmed its recent calls for the grouping to stay away from “geopolitics”.
Beijing’s opposition to references to Ukraine – the New Delhi Declaration dropped the mention of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as had been stated in last year’s Bali Declaration had been the most significant of several sticking points in forging a consensus. The declaration also “reaffirmed that the G-20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation”, a point repeatedly emphasized recently by Chinese officials as a criticism of the West.
India is riding high on the success of building consensus at the G20 summit in Delhi for the New Delhi Declaration, but there are other contenders for the title of ‘voice of the global south’.
1. A successful Delhi summit
India is riding high on the success of building consensus at the G20 summit in Delhi for the New Delhi Declaration. This was achieved by arriving at a formulation that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine does not need to be explicitly mentioned. Instead, the topic that has haunted the world for 18 months and proved to be the most divisive issue at the G20 – even at the G20 ministerial meetings during the Indian presidency – languaged over in a manner that was acceptable to Russia and China.
The consensus reflected an eagerness in the Western bloc to prevent the impression of a breakdown of the G20 in India, a country that the US is wooing assiduously for its geopolitical goal of containing China. The US and other Western members of the G20 agreed to the watering down of the language of the war to help India score a diplomatic victory.
The return gift to the West was the announcement during one of the G20 summit sessions of an ambitious economic corridor linking the EU, Middle East, and India physically by rail and waterways, and economically through trade and digital infrastructure and politically bringing the three together, a geopolitical rival to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the head of the Russian delegation, said the summit was a success for India as well as the Global South, the world’s developing countries.
2. Weakening of Russia
The summit declaration not only reflected the developing world’s position on the war, it may also be an early signal on a shift in the US and the West. Western media noted the softening of language as “a further signal that as Joe Biden faces an election year, Ukraine is perceptibly slipping down his list of foreign policy priorities as the need grows to nurture alliances to contain China in the Indo-Pacific”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the G20 declaration had isolated Russia. He said the G20 is not necessarily a forum for political discussions where diplomatic progress can be expected on the war in Ukraine.
3. Other contenders to “voice of the Global South”
Regardless of the myriad reasons for the Delhi summit’s success, the excessive projection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in billboards across the capital and in every state where the G20 officials held meetings ahead of the summit was any indication, the achievement of papering over the geopolitical divide is certain to be projected by the Modi government and the BJP in the upcoming election season as a victory for Modi and India’s acceptance as the “vishwaguru” of the world and leader of the “global south”.
However, a Modi-led India is not alone in claiming to be the leader of the developing world. Indonesia held the 2022 G20 presidency, and using its ASEAN presidency, has taken the lead in resolving the failure in Myanmar. With a population of 280 million, it is the largest Muslim country, and the fourth most populous country in the world. It takes pride in having overthrown a US-backed corrupt military ruler and established itself as a democracy — the world’s third largest — that takes pride in its ethnic and religious diversity.
Brazil, which takes over the chair of the G20 from India later this year, is the sixth most populous country in the world with (a population of 217 million) and is the most influential country in Latin America. Its leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, is a big hitter in the global arena.
An aspirant for a permanent seat in the United Nations like India, Brazil has taken a neutral stance over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lula has also criticized the US during a visit to China for “encouraging” Ukraine. Like Modi, Lula wants to be seen as making efforts to end the war. The world will be watching to see how Brazil’s presidency unfolds. In his speech at the summit
4. AU membership
The entry of the African Union is seen as one of the most significant outcomes of the Delhi summit. India takes credit for backing the membership of the Union which is a grouping of all 55 African countries, which have a combined GDP of $2.99 trillion. The membership, sought by the AU for seven years, was welcomed by Senegal President Macky Sall, the previous AU chair who helped to push for membership.
5. China’s silent presence
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision to stay away from the summit, and downgrade China’s participation to the level of Premier Li Qiang, was a sign that despite the bonhomie of the consensus at the Delhi Declaration, the world’s geopolitical divide remains. India, with its close embrace of the US despite a careful balancing act, is right in the middle of it.
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a Sanskrit phrase from ancient Indian scriptures, means “the world is one family”. The theme of the Indian G20 Summit – “One Earth, One Family, One Future” in English – underscores the expectation that countries will support each other in pursuing growth. Mutual assistance in pursuing growth as “One Family” is more imperative nowadays,” Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, said in a commentary on the summit.
(With inputs from agencies)
