At G20 Summit in South Africa, PM Modi Calls for New Global Development Metrics, Proposes Major Initiatives on Skills, Health, and Countering Drug–Terror Nexus.
Johannesburg / New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the first session of the G20 Summit hosted by South Africa, called for a fundamental rethinking of global development parameters and announced a series of major initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation in skills development, public health, traditional knowledge, and countering the growing global drug–terror nexus.
Congratulating South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for the “excellent hosting and successful presidency” of the G20, PM Modi praised the chair’s focus on skilled migration, tourism, food security, AI, the digital economy, innovation, and women’s empowerment. He noted that several historic initiatives launched during the New Delhi G20 Summit had been further advanced under South Africa’s leadership.
Call to Redefine Global Development Parameters
PM Modi expressed concern that decades of economic growth parameters defined by major global economies had left large populations deprived of resources and encouraged the over-exploitation of nature. “Africa has been one of the worst sufferers,” he said, adding that Africa’s first-ever hosting of the G20 Summit was the right moment to revisit global development models.
He highlighted India’s civilizational philosophy of Integral Humanism as a potential guiding principle. “We must view humans, society, and nature as an integrated whole. Only then can we achieve harmony between progress and the planet,” he said.
Proposal for a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository
Recognizing the valuable ecological wisdom preserved in many traditional communities across the world, PM Modi proposed the creation of a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository under the G20 framework. He said India’s ongoing Indian Knowledge Systems initiative could serve as a foundation.
This global platform, he added, would preserve and transmit humanity’s collective cultural and ecological wisdom to future generations.
Focus on Africa’s Youth: One Million Certified Trainers in a Decade
Emphasizing that Africa’s development and youth potential were crucial for the entire world, PM Modi announced the G20–Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative, based on a “train-the-trainers” model.
India proposed that G20 nations collectively finance and support the initiative, with the target of preparing one million certified trainers in Africa over the next ten years, who would in turn train millions of skilled youth.
“This will have a multiplier effect, enabling local capacity building and driving Africa’s long-term development,” the Prime Minister said.
G20 Global Healthcare Response Team Proposed
To strengthen international preparedness for pandemics and natural disasters, PM Modi proposed the formation of a G20 Global Healthcare Response Team. The team would consist of trained medical experts from G20 nations who could be deployed rapidly in the event of global health emergencies.
Warning Against Drug Trafficking and the Fentanyl Threat
Calling drug trafficking—particularly the spread of deadly synthetic drugs like fentanyl—a growing threat to public health, social stability, and global security, PM Modi warned that narcotics had become a major source of terror financing.
To address this, he proposed the G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus, which would bring together financial, governance, and security tools to weaken the global drug-terror economy.
Strengthening India–Africa Solidarity and Global South Representation
PM Modi reiterated that India–Africa solidarity has always been strong, citing the historic inclusion of the African Union as a permanent G20 member during the New Delhi Summit as a major milestone.
He stressed that this spirit must extend beyond the G20, calling for stronger representation of the Global South across all international institutions.
“We must work together so that the voice of the Global South becomes even stronger,” he said.
The Prime Minister concluded his address with a call for collective effort, harmony with nature, and renewed global cooperation for equitable development.
