Prime Minister Modi received a warm reception upon his arrival on Friday, as a cultural troupe greeted him at the airport and bowed to him in respect. The welcome underscored India's longstanding engagement with South Africa and set the tone for the visit
New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday proposed four initiatives, including an initiative on countering the drug–terror nexus, a global healthcare response team, a global traditional knowledge repository and a G-20-Africa skills multiplier initiative to empower African talent, at the G-20 summit in the South African city of Johannesburg. The PM also suggested that the G-20 “must work together to ensure that the voice of the Global South is amplified in all global institutions”.
Addressing the first G-20 session, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies, the role of trade, financing for development and the debt burden, Mr Modi said drug trafficking is a major issue the world is facing today.
"Extremely lethal drugs, especially fentanyl, are spreading rapidly. This has become a serious challenge to public health, social stability, and global security. It is also a major means of financing terrorism. To effectively address this global threat, India proposes the G-20 initiative on countering the drug–terror nexus. Under this initiative, we can bring together various instruments related to finance, governance, and security. Only then can the drug-terror economy be weakened.”
Building a case for a global healthcare response team, the Prime Minister said, “It is our collective responsibility to deal with health emergencies and natural disasters. Therefore, India proposes the formation of a G-20 global healthcare response team, consisting of trained medical experts from the G-20 countries. This team should be ready for rapid deployment in case of any global health crisis or natural disaster.”
Mr Modi also called for a rethink of the global development parameters. He said: “Today, as Africa hosts the G-20 summit for the first time, we must rethink the parameters of development. One way to do this lies in India's civilisational values. And that path is integral humanism. That means we must view humans, society and nature as an integrated whole. Only then will harmony between progress and nature be possible… These traditions not only reflect sustainability but also reflect cultural wisdom, social cohesion and a deep respect for nature."
"India proposes that a global traditional knowledge repository be established under the G-20. The Indian knowledge systems initiative can serve as its foundation. This global platform will help transmit humanity's collective wisdom to future generations,” Mr Modi said.
"Africa's development and empowering Africa's young talent is in the global interest. Therefore, India proposes the G-20-Africa skills multiplier initiative. This could operate under a "train-the-trainers" model for different sectors. All G-20 partners can finance and support this. Our collective goal is to develop one million certified trainers in Africa over the next decade. These trainers will, in turn, prepare millions of skilled youth," Mr Modi said, adding that the initiative will have a multiplier effect. It will build local capacity and boost Africa's long-term development.
The Prime Minister lauded strong India-Africa ties. He said: "India-Africa solidarity has always been strong. The African Union's becoming a permanent member of this group during the New Delhi Summit was a major initiative. Now it is essential that this spirit expands beyond the G-20.”
Congratulating South African President and G-20 summit host Cyril Ramaphosa for the “excellent organisation and successful presidency, Mr Modi said, “Under South Africa's presidency, commendable work has been done on issues such as skilled migration, tourism, food security, AI, the digital economy, innovation and women's empowerment. The historic initiatives taken at the New Delhi G-20 summit have been furthered here."
