HISTORY@G20: WE DO DECLARE

Modi pulls off a massive victory for India’s presidency as members come together to adopt the Delhi Declaration in the true spirit of one earth, one family, one future

- Prashant Jha

NEW DELHI: The Indian Presidency of G20 delivered the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration, carving out a consensus at a time of deep geopolitical fracture between the East and West and developmental divide between the North and South, and marking a moment that will go down in history as arguably India's greatest foreign policy accomplishment in a global forum.

Soon after the second session of the first day of the G20 Summit commenced on Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, without any warning, "Friends, we have just got good news. With the hard work of our teams, and with the cooperation of you all, there is consensus on the New Delhi G20 Summit Leaders Declaration. "After proposing it be adopted, Modi said: "I announce that this declaration is adopted." He then banged the gavel three times and thumped the desk as other G20 leaders together representing the largest economies clapped loudly, even as the world outside took a moment to absorb the scale of the unexpected achievement.

Charting a middle way between the western bloc and Russia on the contentious issue of the war in Ukraine, an issue that had led to a lack of consensus in all G20 meetings in the past 10 months, the declaration firmly positioned India as a reconciler of global contradictions. By incorporating all the key priorities of the Indian Presidency, it catapulted New Delhi as a global rule-shaper. By ensuring that it had both weaved together the issues that pertained to the anxieties and aspirations of the developing world in the final document, and enhancing their representation in the grouping, India became a voice of the Global South.