The ninth parliamentary summit of the Group of Twenty (P20) countries concluded in New Delhi with India handing over the presidency to Brazil. A joint declaration was also adopted.

In an official ceremony, Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) Speaker Om Birla handed over the mandate of the so-called P20 to Brazilian Chamber of Deputies leader Arthur Cesar Pereira de Lira, who will lead the bloc of the world’s strongest economies, the European Union and the African Union, from December.

Speaking at the closing session of the P20 summit, Birla expressed his pride at the adoption of the joint declaration, which he said signalled the parliaments’ common desire to support efforts to improve global governance.

In adopting the document, the legislative leaders of the G20 countries and invited States expressed their determination to promote international peace, prosperity and harmony through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.

To concretise strategies in this direction, participants spent two days discussing advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, the clean energy transition, gender equality and the vital digital transformation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony the previous day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of public participation in addressing global challenges and expressed confidence in the positive impact of the discussions at the P20 Summit on efforts to achieve this goal.

He noted that a world based on confrontation is not in anyone’s interest and reiterated that this is a time of brotherhood, of moving forward together to achieve prosperity.

Prior to the meeting, India organised a Lifestyle for the Environment (LIFE) parliamentary forum aimed at promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns and behaviours, as reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

Photo: Prensa Latina