As Delhi Summit Concludes, PM Narendra Modi Hands Over G20 Presidency Baton To Brazil President Lula

With the end of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the ceremonial gavel to Brazilian President Lula to mark transfer of the G20 presidency. The Brazilian President congratulated PM Modi for "efficiently leading G20 bloc and for excellent work in this summit."

Brazil officially will take over the mantle of the presidency of the elite grouping on December 1. Delivering the closing remarks at the summit, the Brazil President called for increased representation of developing countries as permanent and non-permanent members in the United Nations Security Council. "We want greater representation for emerging countries at World Bank, IMF," the President further said. Social inclusion, fight against hunger, energy transition and sustainable development -- the Brazilian President listed these goals as G20 priorities. 

"We are living in a world where wealth is more concentrated in which millions of human beings still go hungry, where sustainable development is always threatened, in which government institutions still reflect the reality of middle of the last century. We will only be able to face all these problems if we address the issue of inequality," the President said, urging nations to address inequality of income, of access to healthcare, education, food, gender and race and also of representation. 

Meanwhile, PM Modi also proposed a virtual summit of G20 countries in November end to review progress on matters decided in this summit. "As you all know India has the responsibility of G20 presidency till November 2023. In these two days, all of you gave a lot of suggestions and placed proposals. It is our duty that the suggestions we have received be reviewed once again so as to see how their progress can be sped up. I propose that at the end of November, we hold a virtual session of G 20," he said, at the end of the session.