Modi tough talk at G20 virtual conference, says conceptualise globalisation with humanity at centre

Without mincing words, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called upon G20 leaders to switch to a new form of globalisation with human beings at the centre.

New Delhi [India], Mar 26 : Without mincing words, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called upon G20 leaders to switch to a new form of globalisation with human beings at the centre.

Sources said the Prime Minister made a point that G20, after mitigating economic crisis in 2008, has become mainly a forum to address financial and economic issues.

"The PM said at many levels globalisation failed us whether it is combating terrorism or climate change," the sources told .

The Prime Minister told leaders that COVID-19 has offered the opportunity to look at new concept of globalisation based on humty, climate change and terrorism.

Sources said that the Prime Minister urged G20 to come out with a plan putting human beings at the centre, reduce hardship particularly for economically weaker nations, strengthen and reform WHO and find ways to mitigate economic hardships.

The Prime Minister emphasised that thousands of precious lives have been lost at an alarming economic cost and "we have to look at the collective interest of human lives."

The Prime Minister also told the leaders that G20 took long to respond to COVID 19, according to sources, and noted that after three months of COVID crisis, "we are still finding a coordinated approach".

He said it has taken some time to respond to the crisis of this magnitude and the world is looking "at our actions on how we are dealing with pandemic", the sources said.

"PM made several suggestions at G20. He highlighted that humty should be at the centre of our vision. There should be more sharing of medical research among nations. Countries should develop affordable resources, new crisis management protocols should be developed. WHO should adopt new challenges. We must reduce economic hardships, new globalization," sources told .

As per sources, G20 leaders appreciated the initiative for leaders to meet for global response came from India in general and PM Modi in particular.

The Prime Minister, when he spoke, was speaking for the rest of the world and was speaking for all those who did not have a voice, the sources said.

"We need to look at globalisation, we need to look at comprehensively with humty at the centre," the prime minister told the gathering, according to sources.

The Prime Minister also called on G20 countries to come out with a concrete action plan to fight coronavirus, saying that 90 per cent of COVID-19 cases and 88 per cent deaths from the global pandemic were from the member countries even as they share 80 per cent of world GDP and 60 per cent of the global population.In his remarks at the Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders' Summit, Prime Minister Modi underscored the need to put human beings at the centre of the vision of global prosperity and cooperation.

He also emphasised the need to freely and openly share the benefits of medical research and development, develop adaptive, responsive and humane health care systems, promote new crisis management protocols and procedures for an interconnected global village, strengthen and reform intergovernmental orgsations like WHO and work together to reduce economic hardships resulting from COVID-19 particularly for the economically weak.

The Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders' Summit was held on Thursday to discuss the challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and to forge a globally coordinated response.

According to an External Affairs Ministry release, Prime Minister Modicalled upon on the leaders to help usher in new globalisation for the collective well-being of humankind and have multilateral fora focus on promoting the shared interests of humty.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had a telephonic conversation with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on this subject.

The extraordinary G20 summit was a culmination of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting and G20 Sherpas Meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the meeting, G20 leaders agreed to take all necessary measures to contain the pandemic and protect people. They also supported the strengthening of the WHO's mandate in the fight against pandemics, including the delivery of medical supplies, diagnostic tools, treatments, medicines and vaccines.

Leaders also committed to using all available policy tools to minimise the economic and social cost of the pandemic and to restore global growth, market stability and strengthening resilience.

G20 countries committed to injecting over USD 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the social and economic impact of COVID-19. The leaders also agreed to contribute to the WHO-led COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund on a voluntary basis.

The Prime Minister thanked the King of Saudi Arabia for convening this extraordinary session of G20.At the end of the summit, a G20 leaders' statement was issued which called for a coordinated global response to fight the pandemic, adopting measures to safeguard the global economy, minimising trade disruption and steps to enhance global cooperation.

( With inputs from ANI )