G20 Summit: India’s presidency will lead to transformative change that world needs, says UN chief Guterres

In India for the crucial G20 meetings, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday said that he hoped India’s presidency of the influential grouping would eventually lead to the kind of transformative change that the world so desperately needs.

He also underscored India’s repeated commitments that it would act on the behalf of the Global South and its determination to pursue the development agenda not only in the Asian region but also in collaboration with the developing nations of the world.

“Let me begin by expressing my gratitude to India for the warm welcome and my hope that India’s presidency at the G20 will help lead to the kind of transformative change our world so desperately needs in line with the repeated commitment that India will act on the behalf of Global South and its determination to pursue the development agenda,” Guterres said on Friday.

The United Nations Secretary-General is in India to attend the crucial G20 Summit to be held on 9 and 10 September at the ‘Bharat Mandapam’ pavilion in Pragati Maidan in New Delhi under India’s presidency.

Calling the global family a “dysfunctional unit” Guterres said deep reforms were needed urgently, including much awaited reforms of the United Nations Security Council.

He welcomed the theme of India’s G20 presidency and the country’s focus on ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ but at the same time reiterated that the phrase was also an “indictment of our times”.

“If we are indeed one global family – we today resemble a rather dysfunctional one,” he said.

Guterres also referred to the G20 theme this year and hoped that India would wrap up a successful presidency.

“One Family, One Earth, One Future – this phrase is inspired by the Maha Upanishad and finds profound resonance in today’ world not just as a timeless ideal but as an indictment of our times. If we are indeed one global family, we today resemble a rather dysfunctional one. Divisions are growing, tensions are flaring up and trust is eroding which together raise the spectre of fragmentation and ultimately confrontation,” the UN chief said.

But, there remains an iota of doubt over India’s ability to issue a joint statement at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, with leading nations such as the United States and United Kingdom pushing for a deep condemnation of Russia’s aggression, while Moscow has refused to back down and said it will oppose and block any joint statement that does not reflect Russia’s views.