Top officials from the world’s 19 most developed economies and the European Union are landing in New Delhi this weekend. Location of the annual G20 summitto discuss the economy, climate change and the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Although neither Xi Jinping nor Vladimir Putin will be present, the absence of the leaders of China and Russia will have little impact on the content of a meeting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to exploit internally. Richard RossowPrincipal Advisor and US-India Chair in Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), LA RAZÓN responds to break down the keys to the quote.
What can we expect from this summit given the absence of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin?
The G20 summit will lack actionable and concrete results. But that has less to do with the participants and more to do with the role of the G20. It serves primarily as a coordination and action body in times of global instability. The fact that the Covid threat is relatively low, global energy and food prices have stabilized and there is little risk to the global financial architecture means that the G20 currently has less driving force.
What does this summit mean for the host country, India? Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to take advantage of the situation before his re-election.
Hosting the G20 summit has given India an opportunity to showcase the country’s various regions. India is a federal society and as a former head of state, Prime Minister Modi seemed to enjoy hosting so many G20 summits outside the Delhi-Mumbai corridor. And yes, transferring some of the benefits of India’s growing global role to these regions could have an impact in national elections scheduled for spring 2024, as well as in some key state elections later this year. Although I expect the electoral impact to be minor, the majority of citizens remain more concerned about basic livelihood issues such as food and energy security.
The climate emergency, the economic situation and Russia’s war in Ukraine will be some topics on the agenda in New Delhi. There are too many. Is there room for consensus?
There may be room for consensus, although it is unclear whether the United States and other developed partners will prioritize these issues when they need to take difficult steps such as building and pooling real resources. The West has made very ambitious promises to developing countries in areas such as climate finance and access to technologies to mitigate climate change, although the transfer of such resources has so far fallen far short of expectations.
Does the G20 make sense in today’s world?
Yes, the G20 makes sense. It enables rapid and coordinated action between major economies during an international crisis. Other organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization are important but serve different needs. The G20 will have many quiet and seemingly unproductive years. But when we face global financial contagion or other crises, it is best suited to mitigate such challenges.