UN Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp

Udaipur: Sherpas and delegates of countries attending the first Sherpa of India's G20 Presidency stated that India has the leadership in bolstering the grouping's status as the world's most effective multilateral forum and come up with solutions not only in the economic sector but also on the issues of climate and conflict.

The first Sherpa meeting of India's G20 Presidency that commenced on Sunday saw delegates of G20 members, invited countries and International Organizations expressing their satisfaction with India taking over as the chair and said that New Delhi has the leadership to promote collective values and define a common agenda for the G20 members.

"We have a lot of expectations from India. It's not an easy situation, we face many crises but India has the leadership to promote collective values and define a common agenda for the G20 members", said Aurelien Lechevallier, Sous-Sherpa, France to ANI in Udaipur.

Supporting India's G20 Presidency, Indonesia, which passed on the baton to India, said that with this, the interest of developing countries will continue to prosper.

"As India and Indonesia, we are very close in relations. With India's presidency, the interest of developing countries will continue to prosper and I know that what we have achieved together in Bali with the Bali declaration will be followed up by India and I as Indonesia will support India all the way in its presidency", said Dian Triansyah Djani, Co - Sherpa, Indonesia.

Japan and South Africa too appreciated India for its ambitious agenda adding that it is also about India being the voice of the Global South.

"We expect a lot from the Indian Presidency because India has a very good connection with G20 member states and with Japan as well. India has shown a very ambitious agenda towards the G20 September Summit. So we expect a lot and we would make very good collaboration with India" said ONO Keiichi, Senior Deputy Foreign Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan.

"Like this summit, as has been mentioned, it's about Global cooperation. It's about maintaining G20 as a Premier forum for International cooperation at a very difficult time. It's also about India being the voice of the Global South in many of the conversations as we saw, in sustainable development, debt in low and middle-income countries, dealing with climate change.. "added Trudi Makhaya, G20 Sherpa for South Africa.

Calling India's G20 Presidency 'incredibly important, Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, said that the world is looking out to the G20 and to India's presidency to try to come up with some solutions, both short and immediate.

"India and every country in the world right now is reeling from the impact, and recovering from the covid pandemic. Now, the war in Ukraine has led to food and fuel and leading to a rapid increase in the cost of living for everybody and impacting developing countries and poor communities the most. So, the timing of the G20 that the timing of India's presidency of the G20 really is incredibly important. The world is looking out to the G20 and to India's presidency to try to come up with some solutions, both short and immediate, you know, shock absorbers and as well as to regain and maintain our focus on medium and longer-term issues of climate change, for example", said Shombi.

"If you ask me how can we be sure that this G20 presidency delivers on some of those needs? I think coming right before the first meeting of the Sherpa track tomorrow, essentially the formal kickoff of the G20 here in beautiful Udaipur really is exactly the conversation that we needed. We are all hoping that this G20 will be the SDG's20 as we like to call it", he added.

As India commenced its G20 meeting, a side event on Transforming Lives at the Midpoint of the 2030 Agenda: Accelerating Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in an Era of Cascading and Multiple Crises was organized. For the past seven years, India has been at the forefront of adopting, implementing, and monitoring the SDGs and localising it to suit the subnational and local realities. While there is a long way to go, many of India's programmatic interventions have been successful in creating impact at scale.

In the welcome note to all delegates, India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant stressed on India's belief that every crisis is an opportunity and leadership is about finding path-breaking solutions in the midst of crisis.

He focused on the onerous responsibility of all G20 Sherpas to give shape to a new future. At the end of the discussion, the panel concluded that the G20 platform is in a unique position to provide leadership and financial resources and work together to bring the world back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The delegates also witnessed the Jal Sanjhi art form a (300-year-old Rajasthani rare art form) where the canvas is the surface of the water.

The four-day gathering, December 4-7, of the Sherpas of G20 Members, invited countries and International Organizations will set the stage for an important conversation on some of the most pressing issues of our time, including technological transformation, green development and LiFE and facilitating inclusive and resilient growth.

During the visit, the delegates will also take a tour of Crafts village at Shilpgram Crafts village and witness a full day excursion to Kumbalgarh fort and Ranakpur Temple complex.

India on December 1 officially assumed the yearlong G20 Presidency of the influential group during which more than 200 meetings will be held in the country across 55 locations. The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies. It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.

Drawing inspiration from its G20 Presidency theme of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - 'One Earth One Family One Future', India will host over 200 meetings in over 50 cities across 32 different workstreams and would have the opportunity to offer G20 delegates and guests a glimpse of India's rich cultural heritage and provide them with a unique Indian experience.