The meeting of the world’s largest economies in New Delhi, hosted by India as part of its presidency of the Group of 20, was overshadowed by the ongoing war in Ukraine. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hoped to set the agenda on issues such as global poverty and climate change, the conflict in Ukraine dominated discussions and highlighted deep divisions among G20 members.
The question now is whether the G20 can make any progress in the face of such divisions. To explore this issue, Inside Story invited three guests to share their insights: Vicky Pryce from the Centre for Economics and Business Research in London, Nikita Sud from the University of Oxford, and Chris Weafer from Macro-Advisory, an independent global advisory firm.
Pryce began by noting that the G20 has been struggling to make progress on a number of issues for some time, and that the situation in Ukraine has only made things worse. She argued that the G20 needs to focus on building trust and cooperation among its members if it is to make any meaningful progress going forward.
Sud agreed that trust is a key issue, but also pointed out that there are deeper structural problems within the G20 that need to be addressed. She noted that many developing countries feel marginalized within the group, and that this is a major obstacle to progress on issues such as poverty reduction and climate change.
Weafer took a more optimistic view, arguing that the G20 has actually made significant progress in recent years, particularly on economic issues. He noted that the group played a key role in stabilizing the global economy after the 2008 financial crisis, and that it has continued to work together on issues such as tax reform and infrastructure investment.
Despite these differing perspectives, all three guests agreed that the G20 faces significant challenges in the years ahead. They also agreed that the group will need to find new ways to work together if it is to make any meaningful progress on issues such as poverty reduction and climate change.
One potential solution, suggested by Pryce, is for the G20 to focus more on concrete, achievable goals rather than trying to tackle every issue at once. She argued that this would help build trust among members and create momentum for further progress down the line.
Sud agreed that this approach could be effective, but also stressed the need for greater representation of developing countries within the group. She argued that this would help ensure that the G20’s agenda reflects the needs and priorities of all its members, not just the wealthiest and most powerful.
Weafer, meanwhile, suggested that the G20 could benefit from greater engagement with civil society groups and other stakeholders outside of government. He argued that this would help build public support for the group’s work and create pressure for action on key issues.
Overall, it is clear that the G20 faces significant challenges in the years ahead. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is just one example of the deep divisions among members, and there are many other obstacles to progress on issues such as poverty reduction and climate change.
However, there are also reasons for optimism. The G20 has made significant progress on economic issues in recent years, and there are many potential solutions to the challenges it faces going forward. By focusing on concrete goals, ensuring greater representation of developing countries, and engaging with civil society groups, the G20 may be able to overcome its divisions and make meaningful progress on some of the world’s most pressing problems.