G20 leaders issue declaration post summit, vows to vaccinate 70% of world by mid-2022

Realising the primary objectives of a G20 Summit, the recently-concluded conclave in Rome issued a Summit declaration wherein fellow member nations, including India, 'agree' to take on certain goals and approaches. G20 leaders and Heads of State further adopted the 'Rome Declaration'; the communiqué passed a stern message under the health section where member states have agreed that COVID immunization is a global public good.

G20 Rome Summit's Declaration

• G20 leaders thank healthcare and frontline workers, international organisations, scientists for efforts to cope with COVID-19
• G-20 countries including India agree to strengthen the common response to pandemic, pave way for global recovery with a focus on the most vulnerable populace. 
• Vaccines are among the most important tools against the pandemic, extensive COVID-19 immunisation is a global public good.
• G-20 leaders agree to efforts to achieve global goals of vaccinating at least 40% of the population by 2021-end, 70% by mid-2022.
• G-20 nations agree to endeavour to restart international travel in a safe and orderly manner.
• G-20 nations remain committed to achieving food security and adequate nutrition for all, leaving no one behind.
• G-20 nations, including India, committed to strengthening actions to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
• G-20 nations, including India, remain committed to tackling the urgent threat of climate change, work to achieve successful COP26 in Glasgow. 
• G-20 nations agree to endeavour to restart international travel in a safe and orderly manner. 

Notably, the G-20 leaders' declaration further stated, "We look forward to meeting again in Indonesia in 2022, in India in 2023 and in Brazil in 2024."

Group of Twenty: G20 

The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, UK and USA. The G20 Countries together represent around 90% of global GDP, 80% of global trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.

The prime objectives of the G20 include: 

• Policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth. 
• To promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises. 
• To create a new international financial architecture. 

After the G20 Summit, PM Modi is scheduled to attend the COP26 in Glasgow wherein, he is expected to pitch for collective measures to deal with the situation in Afghanistan. On November 1, PM Modi will deliver a national statement at the World Leaders' Summit and participate around themes of climate change, mitigation, adaption and clean technology and innovation at Glasgow, the Foreign Secretary stated.