The first meeting of the G20 Infrastructure Working Group under India’s G20 Presidency concluded on 17 January 2023 in Pune. The meeting was attended by 64 delegates from 18 member countries, 8 guest countries and 8 international organizations. The G20 Intergovernmental Working Group discussed the Infrastructure Agenda 2023 under India’s G20 Presidency.
The two-day meeting, organized by the Indian Presidency, discussed the main theme of “Financing Tomorrow’s Cities – Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable”, among others. The meeting included discussions on various aspects of making cities economic centers of growth, financing urban infrastructure, building future-ready urban infrastructure.
The role of cities in meeting sustainability goals, channeling fiscal investment to unlock private financing for energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure. and alleviating social imbalances. The meeting also discussed other important topics such as exploring ways to collect data on infrastructure spending and make the data useful for the private sector.
On the sidelines, the Pune meeting was also complemented by a high-level workshop on ‘Financing the Cities of Tomorrow’, where more than 15 international experts discussed issues related to urban finance. The workshop discussed how the cities of tomorrow need to link their key administrative functions planning, funding and financing to increase private sector participation.
Divided into three interconnected sections, the workshop focused on infrastructure and related technical and managerial capacities for building the cities of tomorrow. The workshop also discussed how cities and senior governments could prepare to increase private funding for Cities of Tomorrow.
During the IWG session, delegates also had the opportunity to experience the rich cuisine, history and culture of Pune. All in all, the delegates not only had a productive meeting but also enjoyed the cultural experiences that Pune had to offer. The second meeting of the Working Group on Infrastructure is scheduled to be held in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on 28-29 March 2023.
By: Vaishali verma
