First Meeting of G20 Development Working Group

The first meeting of the Development Working Group (DWG) under the G20 Sherpa Track commenced with a side event on Data for Development in Mumbai on 13 December 2022. Queen Maxima of Netherlands who is the UN Special Envoy for Inclusive Finance for Development and Honorable Union Minister for State, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Mr. Rajiv Chandrashekhar delivered remarks at the event. Earlier, India’s G20 Sherpa, Shri Amitabh Kant also addressed the gathering.

The discussions of the Development working group kicked off with opening remarks from Foreign Secretary of India, Shri Vinay Mohan Kwatra. He highlighted India’s role as the voice of the Global South and introduced the key priorities of the working group - harnessing data for development, mainstreaming Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) globally, and accelerating progress on SDGs through the levers of women-led development, digital transformation, and just green transitions.

Sessions 1 and 2 focused on ‘Accelerating Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals’. Following presentations made by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and International Labour Organization (ILO) on gender discrimination, just green transitions and digital transformation, G20 delegates held discussions on existing bottlenecks for accessing sustainable finance, and the need to strengthen efforts to achieve gender equality.

Session 3 on ‘Data for Development’ included presentations by MeitY and a representative of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG), UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Technology, and a representative from UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Delegates discussed the need for quality data and data with trust, role of private sector and civil society, capacity building, and aligning the work of DWG with DEWG.

Session 4 of the DWG meeting discussed LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), a central priority for India’s G20 Presidency. Presentations on the topic were made by representatives from United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). G20 delegates welcomed the focus brought to SDG 12 and LiFE, and deliberated on ways to integrate it with localized realities and knowledge, identify policy measures, and to incentivize policy shifts. The last session discussed the preparation of the 2023 G20 New Delhi Update and the terms of reference for the outcome document. The meeting concluded with remarks by the Chair on 15 December 2022.

During the DWG Meeting in Mumbai, an exhibition of local Maharashtrian handicrafts and start-ups was also held. G20 delegates also visited a pottery making stall that was set up at the venue. With a view to providing an Indian experience to G20 delegates, an excursion to the Kanheri Caves in Sanjay Gandhi National Park was also arranged on 16 December 2022.

Mumbai
December 16, 2022