India holds 1st meeting of G20 Development Working Group

NEW DELHI, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The first meeting of the Development Working Group (DWG) under India's G20 Presidency began in Mumbai on Tuesday.

It was attended by G20 members, guest countries and invited international organizations, said the External Affairs Ministry in a statement.

Two side events "Data for Development: Role of G20 in Advancing the 2030 Agenda" and "Infusing New LiFE into Green Development" were held before the official DWG meeting.

The meeting would focus on India's key priorities relating to accelerating progress on the sustainable development goals (SDGs), Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) and data for development.

"India's G20 Presidency lies at a crucial midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015. Review of SDG progress and G20's efforts to achieve the SDG targets would be discussed at the DWG meeting," the ministry said.

In the context of Green Development, focus areas would include climate finance and technology, as well as just energy transitions for developing countries, it added.

Ahead of the meeting, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant emphasized that the challenges the world faces today could only be solved by working together.

"Our priorities reflect not only the aspirations of G20 members, but also of the Global South. India is pursuing an inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented approach," he added.

Kant also outlined India's DWG priorities as green development, including climate action and financing, just energy transitions and LiFE, accelerating implementation of SDGs, and Digital Public Goods/Data for Development.

He further stated that DWG conversations would also include debt distress, reformed multilateralism, and women-led development, stressing India will highlight the importance of inclusive growth and collective action to achieve it.