Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famous anti-war message that was conveyed to Russian President Vladimir Putin last September, has found a mention in the G20 Declaration agreed upon in New Delhi on Saturday. It is the same message that was included in the Bali communique in November 2022. “Today’s era must not be of war,” read the joint declaration of Group of 20 (G20) nations signed in the national capital.
The development came after delegates from the world’s most powerful countries reached a compromise on language to describe the Ukraine conflict. Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today said that the G20 had reached a consensus on a leaders’ declaration and announced its adoption during the first day of its annual summit. “On the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration,” PM Modi told the bloc leaders, before clapping the table for a few seconds in celebration.
In the joint declaration, the world leaders reiterated their national positions on the Ukraine conflict and pointed out that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. “In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state,” the statement said.
They reaffirmed that the G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. The leaders also recognised that while the G20 is not the platform to resolve geopolitical and security issues but the human suffering and negative added impacts of the war with regard to global food and energy security, supply chains, macro-financial stability and inflation, especially affecting the developing and least developed countries.
On the issue of the UN Grain Deal, the leaders appreciated the efforts of Türkiye and called for the full, timely and effective implementation of the agreement to ensure the unimpeded deliveries of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizers. “This is necessary to meet the demand in developing and least developed countries, particularly those in Africa,” they said.
Expressing deep concern about the adverse impact that conflicts have on the security of civilians, the leaders also called for the cessation of military destruction or other attacks on relevant infrastructure. “We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability,” it said.
The G20 leader stressed that the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and efforts to address crises as well as diplomacy and dialogue are critical and vowed to unite in a common endeavour to address the adverse impact of the war. They jointly called for durable peace in Ukraine that will uphold all the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter for the promotion of peaceful, friendly, and good neighbourly relations among nations in the spirit of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
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