India's big G20 moment has arrived: What to expect from Day 1

New Delhi is all set to host the 18th G20 Summit today with global leaders in presence. The crucial two-day Summit of the year is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations. Also read: G20 Summit: How much money was spent on Delhi? The agenda India is hosting the G20 Leader’s Summit at Bharat Mandapam, the newly inaugurated India Trade Promotion Organisation complex at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. The Summit would commence with the arrival of the world leaders at the venue from 9.30 am onwards. At around 10.30 the first session of the G20 Summit: ‘One Earth’ will take place. This session will focus on accelerating climate action through increased mitigation and strengthening the agenda of global net zero emission as soon as possible – a subject of disagreement among the leaders. There was little progress made towards the aim of renewable energy in July this year, as the G20 energy ministers failed to agree on a roadmap for coal’s phase-down or even mention it in their final statement. The group of nations disagree on commitments to increase renewable energy targets, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and phase out the use of fossil fuels. This is because the language of the climate commitment is unclear. After the conclusion of the ‘One Earth’ session, and followed by lunch, another session of ‘One Family’ would be conducted at 3.00 p.m. as a part of the Summit. The Indian PM will also host a “working lunch” for the leaders of state. ‘Pull-aside’ meetings between PM Modi and heads of state will take place from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m., after which they will continue to the special dinner event that President Droupadi Murmu is hosting at 7.00 pm. Besides the foreign delegates parliamentarians and ministers in the current Cabinet, the G20 Summit dinner will be attended by some of the former senior leaders of the nation. Also read: Who are G20 sherpas and why are they crucial to the success of this summit? India’s key focus Notably, the theme of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place under India’s presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth - One Family - One Future” - is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life - human, animal, plant, and microorganisms - and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe. US president Joe Biden, British prime minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida are among the key leaders who are going to attend the event in the country’s capital city. Notably, Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin will not be taking part in the weekend summit. China, however, will be represented at the summit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Russia. This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India. Extensive preparations have been underway to portray India’s tradition and strength. India aims to achieve the twin objectives of adding the African Union as a member of G20 and resolving disagreements about a joint statement related to the war in Ukraine at the Summit. During the presidency, India has focused on various issues like inclusive growth, digital innovation, climate resilience, and equitable global health access. By leveraging its presidency, India is fostering collaborative solutions that benefit its own population and contribute to the broader global well-being. The countries taking part in the G20 Summit include Nigeria, Argentina, Italy, the AU (represented by Comros), and South Africa. Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Japan Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, Egypt, Australia, the United States, Canada, China, the U.A.E, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey Spain, Germany, France, Mauritius, the European Union and Singapore. Also read: Russia-Ukraine war, climate change: Two major sticking points at G20 Global leaders arrive in New Delhi A warm welcome was accorded to leaders who arrived in Delhi for the G20 Summit which begins on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing confidence that the gathering of world leaders will chart a new path in human-centric and inclusive development. The leaders who reached the national capital include US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentina President Alberto Fernandez and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The leaders were welcomed by traditional dance performances. [caption id=“attachment_13100242” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] US President Joe Biden lands in New Delhi for G20 Summit. ANI.[/caption] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also reached India. He had hosted the BRICS summit last month. Other leaders who arrived in the national capital include Chinese Premiere Li Qiang, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Oman Deputy Prime Minister Asaad bin Tariq bin Taimur, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Egypt President El-Sisi, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. African Union Chairperson Azali Assoumani, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Argentina President Alberto Angel Fernandez, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General, Mathias Cormann, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also reached Delhi. With inputs from ANI