From Green Saplings to a War without a Subject: G20 Summit Updates

In this review, we share the highlights from the most recent G20 summit

Written By; Ece Erden – Sep 20, 2023

This year’s version of the G20 summit, which took place in Bali the previous year, occurred on September 9-10 in New Delhi, India. Pre-scheduled meetings, such as the grain corridor/initiative meeting, took place, as well as unplanned and surprise ones. A consensus document agreed upon by the heads of state of the 19 participating countries and EU officials was prepared. Not only G20 members attended the summit; there were also other invited countries and international organizations. The presidents of Russia and China, Putin and Xi respectively, did not attend the summit. Russia sent a delegation, and the ambitious prime minister represented China. At the beginning of the summit, past and future host presidents handed over a sapling to the current host, PM Modi. On Saturday, the New Delhi Declaration was published,which neither directly pointed to Russia nor set precise futuristic goals, appearing more subdued than expected. The summit, which began with the hope of peace with green saplings, ended with the hypocrisy of hedging as well as economic and political interdependence.

Say Hi to G21

Consisting of 55 countries, the African Union (AU) joined G20 as a formal member. This, with no doubt, will pave the way for Africa’s better representation thus increasing the political power of the Global South. The participation of AU will be eliminating South Africa’s loneliness in the negotiations. Most importantly, this will be enhancing the inclusiveness of G20 by including the“public” as notably expressed by Le Monde. This step is also interpreted as the US’ balancing or containment of China through Africa.

The War in Ukraine

Due to the fear of lack of agreement, Russia was not censured for its actions in the Ukraine War. To put it differently, the wording was adjusted to a less provocative level in order to reach a consensus, yet causing offense in the Ukrainian government. In contrast to this year, in the previous year, Russia was officially and clearly criticized despite objections. The 2022 Bali Declaration, in particular, labeled Russia’s intervention as ‘illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked”.

The language used in 2022 was an important criterion for determining the language in 2023. Russia would not accept a more severe language than that used in 2022. A milder language compared to the previous year would also be seen as a step back from the Western bloc.

India, as a crucial balancing actor between Russia and the West, had to utilize its skill in finding a middle ground, which was by no means an easy task. Consequently, it can be interpreted that the language used in the statement favored Russia, as the conflict in Ukraine was referred to as the ‘war in Ukraine,’ and no specific actors in the conflict were mentioned, with vague expressions being used. As an example, in this year’s declaration, there was a significant emphasis on the notion that this era should not be defined as an age of warfare (Article 14), and the United Nations’ criteria for war were reaffirmed (Article 8). On the other hand, Oleg Nikolenko, the spox of Ukrainian MFA, condemned the statement and, through his revisions, transformed it into an ideal form (see the image below). On the other hand, as someofficials from the EU have interpreted in a positive manner, it is better for Russia to sign a document than not sign one at all. It’s important to keep in mind that the Western intentions of not obstructing India’s efforts for reconciliation may become more evident in their future relationswith China.

(Photo: Nikolenko’s Facebook post)

A Comprehensive Indian Success

Regarding climate change, it was stated that efforts would be made to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. However, the summit’s stance on climate change was deemed insufficient.

This is because they refrained from specifying targets on the most critical issues. Firstly, there is no goal, such as ending fossil fuel usage. Without such a goal, as noted by Le Monde, it appears challenging to reverse the destructive trend. There is also no target regarding oil usage. The BBC highlighted that this was done not to upset Saudi Arabia and Russia. In other words, it seems that concrete targets have been circumvented to avoid disrupting the consensus. Among other topics discussed were gender inequality in the digital realm, gender-inclusive climate actions, progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and AI, with a new focus for the first time.

From the perspective of the host country, India, the G20 summit has consequences that can influence domestic politics. Furthermore, we can observe that the impact of the summit on domestic politics has been calculated in advance and turned into an element contributing to Modi’s image. India’s Sanskrit name, Bharat, was used on nameplates at the summit. This is one of the deliberate steps taken by Modi to erase the traces of British colonialism and rebuild the national identity in India. The West did not pose obstacles to reaching a compromise in India because India is one of the important balancing actors against China.

(Photo: Reuters)

Overall, the summit can be viewed as a significant achievement in terms of demonstrating India’s mediation efforts and abilities. With the total of 112 documents, India has shown leadership as a hardworking host compared to previous 6 hostings. Accordingly, the summit’ssuccess can potentially bolster India’s position for involvement in the UNSC.

(Photo: Instagram)

Next year’s G20 will be held in Brazil. Brazil’s President, Lula, is willing to maintain a neutral position regarding the Ukraine War. Despite Lula’s statement emphasizing Putin’s presence in Brazil, which should not pose any problems in light of the ICC decision regarding Putin’s detention, Brazil’s overall statements have been quite controversial. Brazil is in the grip of economic interdependence.

About Author

E. Erden recently completed her studies at Bogazici University, yet she remains filled with a passion for research and writing. Discover her articles on herMedium blog: https://medium.com/@eceerden.tr