G20 virtual summit on November 22 will remain a stocktaking exercise

The virtual meeting of G20 leaders on November 22 will take stock of the New Delhi Declaration, and follow up on several crucial decisions taken at the grouping’s summit in September, officials familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

It will, however, not introduce new areas of discussion, and instead allow the G20 Chair Brazil to take up the slew of policy initiatives next year, they said.

The proposal to hold the digital meet in November was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit held in New Delhi from September 9-10.

It was then decided that policy proposals submitted by several member states that could not be taken up due to the paucity of time would be discussed.

“It is our responsibility that we take a look at the solutions that have been advanced,” Prime Minister Modi had said.

Following the Summit in September, the government set up a high-level monitoring mechanism to oversee the implementation of the Declaration.

“The Summit is another opportunity for global leaders to meet at a time when multiple crises are ongoing. Such meetings are invaluable in resolving geopolitical challenges,” an official from India's G20 secretariat said.

This will be the first time leaders from the G20 nations will gather twice during the year to assess the progress made since the main meeting.

Earlier, certain nations have held multiple summits in a year to discuss specific issues.

In 2021, G20 Chair Italy, arranged an extraordinary leaders’ summit to discuss the issue of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Officials said it had been earlier discussed whether the summit should have an outcome document, but the final decision has opted against it.

A press statement is expected to be issued by the government.

But while the meeting is not expected to have a joint statement, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the conflict in Ukraine will still be raised by some leaders.

India is expected to raise them for discussions, they said.

The agenda of the meeting has been shared with other nations, they added.
 

Most world leaders are expected to attend the upcoming virtual summit.

Officials said the final confirmations for all nations were yet to come in, but almost all leaders have confirmed their presence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping may also attend as the meeting is virtual.

They had skipped the New Delhi summit without specifying the reasons.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had also sent his deputy.

While Modi handed over the ceremonial gavel of the G20 presidency to Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in September, India's term as the G20 Chair concludes at the end of this month.