This year’s G20 Summit in New Delhi ended with great fanfare. India, represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government team, shines not only for its role as a gracious host and efficient planning, but above all for its power of consensus building. India’s most significant achievement is the acceptance of the African Union as a full member of the G20. Advocating for the agenda of countries of the South, a more responsible global financial system and fair international regulations, for example regarding climate protection, is one of the main pillars of India’s presidency of the G20.

Several important key points need further consideration. First, it is important to distinguish between the fact that India has successfully focused central aspects of the Global South agenda and India’s leadership role in the Global South. Stating the latter conclusion may be too easy, although it can help in envisioning a unified position on global issues. However, even though India acts as a pioneer of the Global South Agenda within the framework of the G20 Agenda, the political changes undertaken by relevant actors still require them to have an interest in these changes and take appropriate action.

The agreement on this final declaration is a diplomatic success for India as well as for Western countries.

Second, there is agreement on a final declaration for India and also for the United States West diplomatic success. The declaration speaks, among other things, of the need to do this “protect vulnerable populations by promoting equitable growth”, “accelerate efforts to gradually reduce coal-fired power generation (…) in line with national conditions” to do and “Effectively addressing debt vulnerabilities in low and middle income countries”. Since diplomacy is the art of saying enough and not saying too much, the opposite is true. Some documents, which contain something for everyone, remain ineffective because of their ambiguity. Once consensus is reached, this will not necessarily result in policies that are in line with this year’s G20 motto: One Earth, One Family, One Future – especially in a world of increasing polarization. This shows that the G20 as a forum will face several challenges in the future.

In accordance with its founding mission, the G20 has historically been a forum for taking action in regional and global crises. In relatively stable conditions, you won’t hear any major announcements from the G20. Currently the world is full of geopolitical, geoeconomic, environmental and technological instability. That is why the G20 mission is much more relevant today than in the early days of the countries’ founding. This mandate also becomes more important because we are currently facing cross-sectoral instability. Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to impact food and energy security around the world. Ecological instability has direct consequences for human security, and communities in countries of the South feel the impacts most acutely. Geopolitical competition between the West and China is causing countries to adjust strategically and economically.

Although Western countries have the will and capacity to face enormous upheavals, Southern countries are caught in the dilemma of having to choose sides, manage their own resources, and adapt to the increasing pressures resulting from these changes. Therefore, support for Southern countries with the aim of global trade is a systemic need and not just an item on the list of demands of India’s G20 Presidency. Both India and Western countries know this.

India is the bridge the world needs today.

India is a suitable candidate in all respects for the task of mobilizing this support and providing it to the countries of the South. A shared colonial history, successful transition to independent democracy, continuous economic growth and similar socio-cultural experiences made it easy for India to open its doors to the Global South. India is the bridge the world needs today. There was hope that India would act as a bridge between Western countries and the burgeoning Russia-China relations, but considering the existing differences with the People’s Republic of China and the rapprochement with Western countries, India could live well with India even if only as a bridge towards Western countries. Global South serves. For India, its role as manager of the Global South agenda is closely linked to its own national interests. This gives him the opportunity to move on both sides at the same time – that is, to build intensive and fruitful relations with the West on issues of mutual interest and to advocate for change – based on South-South solidarity and in a non-controversial manner. way of global governance (which has so far been dominated by the West). This practical approach opens up more options for India and increases the scope of its political action.

India’s G20 presidency was a success because the country acted in two directions. On the one hand, the country accommodates its Western allies by assuming the same responsibilities as a rapidly developing country and overcoming the contradiction between development and climate protection. It offers human, capital and material resources to address global challenges. On the other hand, India is committed to its partners in the Global South and is actively campaigning for reform of the world political order. India is of course approaching Southern countries because it wants to create a counterweight to China’s influence. Western countries know the need for balance compared to China based on their own experiences – that is why India’s approach and its natural leadership role have great value in the eyes of the West. An example of how China’s influence must be contained is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was presented on the sidelines of the summit.

India offers its human, capital and material resources to address global challenges.

Unlike last year in Bali, the final declaration of the summit in New Delhi did not address Russia’s war in Ukraine. Both Russia and China praised India for depoliticizing the G20. But can the problems we face today – especially in Southern countries – be resolved through free political space? From India’s perspective, the latest statements in New Delhi are about presenting moral values ​​and self-representation to China and people at home, and about the West legitimizing India (and not China) as a responsible partner for India. Global South. To be precise, these modest statements regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine are aimed, on the one hand, at protecting India’s special relationship with Russia and, on the other hand, at emphasizing Western and Southern perspectives on the impact of the war.

What is not included in these statements is often more revealing to diplomatic historians than what is explicitly stated in the statements. The G20 Forum is faced with two opposing forces and is therefore a reflection of the current world situation. The G20 chooses geopolitics driven by group interests, as well as complicated dividing lines that cause multilateral forums to be dominated by Western countries or China, while the real problems lie in bilateral or bilateral relations. minilateral format played. Or they struggle to reach consensus and thereby weaken their own impact. To achieve their goals, the G20 must find the right balance. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi passed the baton and future of the G20 into the hands of President Lula.

Translated from English by Andreas Bredenfeld