India begins preparations for its G-20 Presidency
Setting up of G-20 Secretariat in Delhi okayed
New Delhi, Feb. 15 (Delhi Crown): As India is to assume the Presidency of the G-20 for one year from December 1 this year, the Union Government on Tuesday gave its approval for setting up the G-20 Secretariat.
The G-20 Secretariat would comprise officials and staff from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and other relevant line Ministries/ Departments and domain knowledge experts.
The Secretariat will be functional till February 2024.
According to an official statement, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the setting up of a G20 Secretariat and its reporting structures.
The G-20 Secretariat will be responsible for implementation of overall policy decisions and arrangements needed for steering India’s forthcoming G-20 Presidency.
G-20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation that plays an important role in global economic governance.
As per the practice, a G-20 Secretariat is to be established to handle work relating to substantive/ knowledge/ content, technical, media, security and logistical aspects of India’s G-20 Presidency.
The Secretariat will be guided by an Apex Committee headed by Prime Minister, and comprising Finance Minister, Home Minister, External Affairs Minister, and G-20 Sherpa (Commerce & Industry, Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister), to provide overall guidance to India’s G-20 Presidency.
Further, a Coordination Committee will also be set up to oversee all G-20 preparations and report to the Apex Committee.
The G-20 Secretariat will enable long term capacity building, including knowledge and expertise, for India’s leadership on global issues in multilateral fora.