P20 members unanimously sign joint statement | What is in it?

A joint declaration condemning all forms of terror, including those fuelled by racism, xenophobia, and other variants of intolerance, was adopted at the P20 meeting on Friday. The Presiding Officers of Parliament from the G20 countries, under Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, also recognised the commitment of all religions to peace.

The member states also decided to develop a legal immigration framework to fight human trafficking. The conference saw participation from countries namely Russia, China, Oman, the UAE, Brazil, Australia and the UK.

Canada initially confirmed its participation but was absent during the summit, while the United States did not have any representation after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was recently ousted. From India, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Ministers of State V Muraleedharan and Meenakshi Lekhi as well as G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant were present at the event.

According to The Indian Express, paragraph 17 of the P20 Summit joint declaration stated, “We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including those on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief, recognising the commitment of all religions to peace.” Terrorism is considered one of the main threats to international peace and security, it added.

Terrorist attacks aimed at critical infrastructure such as vital energy installations and other susceptible sites also drew sharp condemnation from the member nations. The declaration highlighted that all acts of terror were offensive, and unjustifiable, irrespective of the motive or origin.

In his keynote address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, "Terrorism – in any form- is against humanity".

Earlier in the day, Speaker Birla spoke about development programmes that India was implementing in its underdeveloped regions and the focus on the transition to green energy to achieve sustainable development objectives. After the joint declaration's adoption on Day 1, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, “The unanimous adoption of the Joint Declaration at P20 exemplifies the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. As public representatives, we pledge to collaborate for a human-centric, prosperous, and harmonious future".

The joint declaration expressed concerns over the persistent underrepresentation of women in national Parliaments across the globe. The declaration also extended a warm welcome to the Parliament of India for its adoption of the Women's Reservation Bill in September 2023.