The presidency of the G20 is going to be held by several emerging economies such as Indonesia, India and Brazil. This provides a unique opportunity to influence the global agenda on issues related to emerging markets and developing countries. A panel discussion held by CGAPP in its conference on G20, the Indo-Pacific and the Regional Economic Order: Collaborative Synergies between India and Indonesia– highlighted the potential of the Indonesia and India (holding the current and next presidencies of the G20) in shaping the global agenda through the G20 group and also explored other developments in the field of global engagement and geo-politics.
The potential of the G20 to affect global conversations is reflected in its share in the world GDP, trade and population. Further, the group connects with stakeholders on multiple levels through engagement groups such as Business (B20), Think Tanks (T20), Women (W20), Youth (Y20), Urban Cities (U20), Civil Society (C20), Labour Unions (L20) and Scientists (S20), which contribute by drafting recommendations related to their areas of interest. The potential of a succession of G20 Presidencies by emerging markets and developing countries to shape the global agenda across these verticals in accordance with perspectives of the Global South can only be realised through collaboration amongst these nations and identification of common concerns. The objectives are two-fold in this respect – inform global policymaking about the needs and requirements of developing countries on current global issues; and encourage global platforms, including the G20, to look for solutions for challenges which are unique to these countries. Sub-G20 engagement and conversations are important in order to identify these areas and make a concerted effort to generate global action.
To begin with, Indonesia has identified three pillars for its G20 Presidency – Global Health Architecture, Sustainable Energy Transition, and Digital Transformation. In all these three areas, India can play a key role due to its experience in health outreach campaigns and drives (such as the polio eradication campaign and its COVID Vaccination Drive), issues of mutual concern (such as vaccine access and energy transition) and expertise in telecommunications and digital technology.
At the same time, emerging markets must make use of newly opened avenues of global engagement. The Geneva Package of reforms has revitalised the WTO and incorporated concerns of developing and less developed nations in key areas such as vaccine access and agriculture. This opportunity must be seized by the Global South to push for inclusion of their national priorities in the WTO agenda and institutional reform that makes the body more inclusive. Concerted action amongst these nations is required to push these agenda and governments should coordinate approaches to trade negotiations within the WTO and enhance bilateral and sub-regional engagement through new initiatives. At the same time the, the nature of multilateral and plurilateral engagement is also changing. The panel noted that open membership groups such as the G20 are important in setting standards and determining the contours of global policy. At the same time, negotiations between nations may move towards cooperation on specific and identified areas rather than overarching agreements. The global diplomatic architecture should recognize new forms of issue and sector-based engagement, especially in the economic sphere, as nations move towards niche trade and economic agreements.
Finally, The Russia-Ukraine conflict and other recent geopolitical developments have illustrated the difference between the developed nations of the West and the rest of the world with regards to foreign policy choices and their consequences in the face of hardening global blocs. It should be recognized that developing and less-developed nations have the autonomy to take decisions based on their national interests, without having to choose between two blocs in a conflict. There is a need for global agreement that a return to the Cold War era mentality of rival and insulated groups with hardening boundaries should be avoided.
