G20 Working is divided into three major tracks ie Finance Track, Sherpa Track & & Engagement Groups. Each track plays an important role in the overall functioning of G20. The working groups are an essential component of the G20 process, providing technical expertise and research to support the G20's policy-making process. They help ensure the G20's policies are evidence-based, well-informed, and grounded in technical expertise. In this post, we explore the arenas of the Sherpa Track & Engagement Groups.

What is Sherpa Track?

The Sherpa Track is a critical component of the G20 process, as it allows for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to decision-making. The Sherpas are responsible for ensuring that the views and interests of their countries are reflected in the G20's collective decisions. They also help to build consensus on key issues and identify areas where further cooperation is needed.

The G20 Engagement Groups

The G20 Engagement Groups are a set of independent, non-governmental organizations that work closely with the G20 to provide expert input and recommendations on critical global issues. There are different Engagement Groups, each focused on a specific area of interest, including business, labor, civil society, think tanks, women, youth, science, and urban issues etc.

The Engagement Groups are a unique feature of the G20 process, designed to ensure that a broad range of perspectives are represented in the discussions and decisions of the G20. They provide an opportunity for stakeholders outside of government to engage directly with the G20, share their expertise and experience, and contribute to the development of policy recommendations.

Each Engagement Group is made up of a diverse range of organizations, including industry associations, labor unions, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, academic institutions, and other civil society groups. They are selected through a rigorous application process and are required to meet specific criteria, including a commitment to the G20's principles of inclusivity, transparency, and accountability.

Sherpa Track & Engagement Group Meetings in January 2023

A lot happened under the sherpa track & engagement groups during the month of January 2023. Here’s all what you need to know about the major meetings held under different groups and their agendas for this year.

Think20

The official Engagement Group of G20, it serves as an “idea bank” for the G20 by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the G20.

T20 Inception Conference was held on 13th -14th Jan in Bhopal. The opening was addressed by Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Sherpa Amitabh Kant, NITI Aayog  VC Suman Kumar Bery & T20 India Chair Sujan Chinoy.

1. The T20 India Secretariate received a record high of 1415 policy brief abstracts.

2. 14 Task force meetings, 5 plenary sessions, two roundtables with over 250 participants from 17+ countries

3. A session on 'inclusive growth' was chaired by Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, who said that the world today needs global financial architecture, innovation and inclusive growth.

4. T20 CEEW - IRID roundtable on finance, technology, people & partnership.

5. T20 - Side event towards reformed materialism - Transforming global institutions and frameworks.

6. A special event on life, values and well-being was also organized.

1st Health Working Group Meeting

The Health Track of the G20 India 2023 comprises of four Health Working Group (HWG) Meetings and one Health Ministerial Meeting (HMM). The venue for the 1st Health Working Group Meeting held between 18th - 20th Jan was Thiruvananthapuram. The meeting kick-started with inaugural addresses by Ministers of State for Ministry of External Affairs V Murleedharan & Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Priorities of Health Group

Priority I: Health Emergencies Prevention, Preparedness and Response (with focus on One Health & AMR)

Priority II: Strengthening Cooperation in Pharmaceutical Sector with focus on Access and Availability to safe, effective, quality and Affordable Medical Countermeasures (Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics)

Priority III: Digital Health Innovations and Solutions to Aid Universal Health Coverage and Improve Healthcare Service Delivery

Issues concerning the preparedness of health systems for health emergencies, One Health approach, Digital Health, Universal Health Coverage, Compliance with International Health Regulations, Sustainable Financing, etc. were the focus of discussion.

India also plans to host a side event along with each HWG meeting to enrich, supplement and support G20 discussions. These include side events on Medical Value Travel and Digital Health; a workshop on collaborative research on drugs, diagnostics and vaccines; and a co-branded event on Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.

Business20 (B20)

B20 is among the most prominent Engagement Groups in G20, with companies and business organizations as participants. The B20 leads the process of galvanizing global business leaders for their views on issues of global economic and trade governance and speaks in a single voice for the entire G20 business community.

B20 Inception Meet was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 22nd Jan-24th Jan, 2023. The focus of the meet was on identifying industry priorities and translating them into actionable policy recommendations,”. The meeting was attended by G20 Sherpa, business delegates, CEO, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, etc. The meeting was headed by Mr Chandrasekaran, Head of TATA sons. During the meeting, the bigshots formed two action groups and seven task forces.

Some of the speakers at the various plenary sessions included Quint Simon, Dr Amitendu Palit and Roshni Nadar. There were a series of plenary sessions on climate action, rethinking and revitalizing innovation to drive inclusive impact, redefining global digital cooperation, building resilient global value chains, fostering financial inclusion and empowering societies.

StartUp20

The G20 Startup20 Engagement Group held its inception meeting in Hyderabad from 28th-29th Jan, 2023. It featured delegates from G20 nations and nine special invitees from observer countries, representatives from multilateral organizations as well as the Indian startup ecosystem. It anticipates for a productive development of policy recommendations on entrepreneurship and innovation priorities of and across G20 countries for the years ahead. The meeting created a global narrative for supporting startups and fostering synergies between startups, corporates, investors, innovation agencies, and other key ecosystem stakeholders.

“The group will also bridge the knowledge gap between the startup ecosystems of G20 member countries and emerging economies through partnerships with enablers such as incubators and government agencies.” stated StartUp20 Chairman Dr. Chintan Vaishnav. The Startup20 has three main taskforces; the Foundation and Alliances Taskforce, Finance, and Inclusion and Sustainability.

Expected outcomes and key deliverables of Startup20 include the official Policy Communique, a Startup Handbook with a set of commonly agreed upon definitions and terminologies, a Global Innovation Centre to foster collaborations across borders, and promotion of Startup20 as a Global Point of Contact for startup ecosystems worldwide.

Startup20x was launched at the Inception meeting held. It is a platform designed to empower entrepreneurs with valuable knowledge and connect them with potential investors.

Science20

Science20 Engagement Group comprises of the national science academies of the G20 countries. It presents policymakers with consensus-based science-driven recommendations formulated through task forces comprising international experts.

This year's theme for Science-20 is Disruptive Science for Innovative and Sustainable Development. The focus areas of this group are :

1. Clean energy for a greener future

2. Universal holistic health

3. Connecting science to society and culture

4. Synthesis & policy recommendations

The Science-20 (S20) Inception Meeting was held in Puducherry during 30th - 31st January, 2023. It was co-chaired by Prof Ashutosh Sharma, President, Indian National Science Academy (INSA). A total of 15 foreign delegates from 11 G20 countries participated in the meet. About 50 delegates, special invitees from various research and academic institutions across India are also participated in the Puducherry S20 Inception meeting.

The Inception Meeting began with welcome remarks from Prof G Rangarajan, Director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), which is the Secretariat for S20. “The grand challenges of today and tomorrow – climate change, pandemics, energy security, water management, food shortage – cannot be addressed by one country alone. It requires the cooperation of many different nations so that experiences and breakthroughs in science and technology can be shared with each other,” he said.

Key Takeaways
These groups will operate throughout the year, conducting meetings, workshops, and research activities to support the G20's policy-making process. They will also engage with stakeholders outside of the G20, including civil society organizations, the private sector, and academia, to gather input and perspectives on policy issues.

References

- www.g20.org