NEW DELHI : The Think20 Summit will be organised in Mysuru, Karnataka from July 31 to August 2, with Observer Research Foundation as the Think20 Secretariat.
Think20 is the G20’s official engagement group that serves as an ‘ideas bank’ for the multilateral grouping by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the G20.
“The Think20 Summit is the milestone event of Think20 India. The three-day conference will be a gathering of distinguished members of the seven Think20 Task Forces and policy experts from around the world. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to collectively showcase ideas and insights on the priorities of India’s G20 Presidency, including issues such as lifestyle for sustainable development, macroeconomics and trade, women-led development, digital transformation, green transition, the global financial order, accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and reforming multilateralism,” the ORF press release stated.
During the Summit, Think20 will also release the final Think20 Communique. Notably, the policy recommendations outlined in the Think20 Communique are sourced from the official statements of the seven Task Forces of Think20 India, which will also be launched during the Summit.
The document also draws on the various Policy Briefs authored by researchers and scholars from around the world, as well as highlights from the Ideas Box of Think20, an initiative by Think20 India to encourage the public to engage with the G20 process. The Summit will also see the launch of four associated publications, the release stated.
“We, at Observer Research Foundation, are delighted to serve as the Secretariat for the Think20 under India’s G20 Presidency. This engagement group is the ideas bank for the leaders of the g20 countries. We are thrilled that over 131 co-chairs from the G20 and other invited countries have collaborated over the past eight months and have put together some very specific and wide-ranging recommendations for the G20 leadership to consider,” said Samir Saran, Chair, of Think20 Secretariat and President, Observer Research Foundation.
“The 60+ events we have hosted in every continent, over the past six months, have helped strengthen the G20 community and have allowed us to include new voices from diverse backgrounds that may not have been part of the process previously,” he added.
“We are confident that the work we have done will continue to be taken forward by the succeeding presidencies of Brazil and South Africa. We thank the Think20 Core Group, led by Amb. Sujan Chinoy, for their leadership over the past year. We also want to thank all the institutions in India for their support, as well as the international community that has put their differences aside and worked for one earth as one family for our common future,” Saran further said.
The Think20 Summit is the final of the four key convenings by Think20 India. Think20 has, thus far, organised 64 side events in 22 cities in India and abroad, and published over 300 policy briefs from 706 institutions.
According to the release, the summit will feature a virtual town hall with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, keynote addresses by Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa and Mehdi Jomaa, Tunisia’s Former Prime Minister, as well as interventions from Maria Espinosa, Former President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly and Executive Director of GWL Voices; Muktesh Pardeshi, Special Secretary (G20), Ministry of External Affairs; Eenam Gambhir, Joint Secretary (G20), Ministry of External Affairs; Shamika Ravi, Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, among others.
It will also see the attendance of eminent members of the think tank community including Ashima Goyal, Emeritus Professor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research; Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director, Gateway House, India; and Radhicka Kapoor, Senior Visiting Fellow, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, India.
Dasra, World Resources Institute, Shell, UNAIDS, IDOS and Gateway House will be hosting special events on the sidelines of the Think20 Summit.
“India’s Presidency of the G20 is a unique opportunity to reorient a world characterised by dissent and mutual recrimination in recent times, towards the key developmental challenges that matter most to the vast majority of nations. Building consensus on economic recovery, climate change, just and equitable green transition, inclusive digital public infrastructure and the achievement of the UN’s 2030 SDGs is critical. Our collective action today will determine the world we bequeath to future generations,” said Ambassador Sujan Chinoy, Chair, Think20 Core Group of India’s G20 Presidency and Director General, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
“As the G20’s Ideas Bank, T20 India has made meaningful contributions to this effort, drawing on the wide expertise available in the G20 countries and beyond,” he added. (ANI)