The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of a G20 Secretariat and its reporting structures, on Wednesday. The Secretariat will be responsible for the implementation of the comprehensive policy decisions and arrangements needed for guiding India’s forthcoming G20 Presidency.
India will be holding the Presidency of the summit from the 1st of December 2022 to the 30th of November 2023. G20 is the leading council for international economic cooperation and plays an important role in addressing major issues related to global economic governance, such as financial stability, climate change mitigation and substantial development.
As per the practice, a G20 Secretariat is being established to handle the work related to knowledge, content, technical, media, security and the logistical aspects of India’s Presidency. The Secretariat will be operated by the officers and the staff from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and other relevant Ministries and Departments along with the domain knowledge experts. The Secretariat will remain functional till February 2024.
An Apex Committee headed by the Prime Minister will be in charge of the Secretariat. The Committee will include Finance Minister, Home Minister, External Affairs Minister, and G20 Sherpa (Commerce & Industry, Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister). The Committee will provide guidance to India’s G20 Presidency. Furthermore, a Coordination Committee will also be set up to oversee all the G20 preparations, which will report to the Apex Committee. The G20 Secretariat will help and support in long term capacity building, including knowledge and expertise, for India’s leadership on global issues in the multilateral congregation.
What is G20?
The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental platform that brings together the world’s major developed and developing economies. The Group of Twenty holds an important role in facilitating the future global economic growth. Together the Group members represent more than 80 per cent of the world’s GDP, 75 per cent of the international trade and around 60 per cent of the world population.
The G20 Group starting in 1999 has evolved into a yearly conclave involving the Head of State and Government. Additionally, the Sherpa meetings, that is in charge of carrying out negotiations and building consensus among Leaders and working groups are organized throughout the year.
The Group comprises 19 countries and the European Union (EU). At its 2009 London Summit, the Group declared itself as the primary venue for International economic and financial cooperation. The Group is recognized as commanding considerable global influence. The G20 doesn’t have a permanent secretariat or staff. The group’s chair rotates annually among the members and is selected from a regional grouping of countries.
In 2010, the establishment of a permanent secretariat was proposed by the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. Seoul and Paris were suggested as the possible locations for the Group’s headquarters. Brazil and China had supported the proposal to establish a permanent secretariat, whereas Italy and Japan had opposed it. Meanwhile, South Korea had proposed a digital secretariat as an alternative.
