KUMARAKOM: The second meeting of G20 Sherpas, which took place in Kumarakom, Kerala, under the chairmanship of India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, discussed India’s G20 focus areas, including technological transformation, green development & LiFE, and accelerated, inclusive, and resilient growth.
India’s G20 theme, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth One Family One Future,’ resonated with the delegates as it captures diverse global challenges of the day in an all-encompassing and inclusive manner.
Over 120 delegates from G20 members, nine invitee countries, and several international and regional organizations attended the four-day meeting which started on 30 March.
DPL Experience Zone
Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, welcomed the delegates and thanked Sherpas and heads of departments for their constant support to India’s G20 presidency.
One of the highlights of the meeting was an experience zone showcasing India’s success in creating the Digital Public Infrastructure or DPI. The zone highlighted India’s population-scale DPIs, including Aadhar, Co-Win, UPI, and DigiLocker, and their role in addressing issues such as digital identity, financial inclusion, and access to education and health. Kant emphasised the crucial role of DPI in providing access to public services effectively and efficiently, highlighting open standards, open API, and interoperability as the hallmarks of India’s DPI.
Global challenges
The meeting saw discussions on innovative and effective ways to promote sustainable development and address pressing global challenges. The deliberations included issues related to womenled development and progress made under agriculture, trade & investment, employment, & anti-corruption working groups.
During the post-event press briefing, Kant noted that the second Sherpa Meet ended on a forwardlooking, constructive, and positive note, with 99 per cent agreement on all substantive issues. It demonstrated India’s commitment to driving progress on Sustainable Development Goals and its ability to convene a diverse group of stakeholders, he said.
