Day 1 of G-20 Meeting in Mumbai: Data For Development Key Theme for Discussion under Development Working Group

Mumbai(13/12/2022): The first meeting of the Development Working Group (DWG) under India’s G20 Presidency began today in Mumbai with G20 Members, Guest countries and invited International Organizations participating in the event held at Jio International Convention Centre. The Development Working Group is one of the crucial elements of G20 as it is often described as the custodian of developmental agenda in G20. The DWG meeting began with the keynote addresses from Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Union Minister of State for Electronic and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar and former Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands also participated in the meeting through a video message to all delegates. Alongside the main meeting, two side events were also held during which India was able to highlight the role of leveraging data for achieving development goals particularly for countries who are not as well off as the others. In the first side event on the topic ‘Data for Development: Role of G20 in advancing the 2030 agenda’ Sherpa Amitabh Kant spoke on the importance of having quality, transparent and accessible data for both the developed and developing nations to make the political leaders accountable to their people. The question on how to democratise data, improving infrastructure for real-time data usage, establishing a framework on shaping standards of data governance were discussed by a range of speakers and domain experts during the meeting. The two plenary sessions on the topics of Rejuvenating legacy systems: From data to public value intelligence, and, Models for the future: Leveraging IoT, Big Data and AI for the SDGs were also held. The second side event was on the topic “Infusing new LiFE into Green Development”. India's G20 Presidency lies at a crucial midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015. Hence, the review of SDG progress and G20’s efforts to achieving the SDG targets is an important priority under the Indian Presidency. India’s Sherpa Amitabh Kant in his opening speech on second side-event emphasized on the importance of Green Development in the contemporary era and highlighted that it is the individual and collective behaviour that will make the difference in Mission LiFE. India’s Mission LiFE also received support from the Queen of Bhutan Jetsun Pema who also noted her support to the mission. Several experts including the CEO of NITI Aayog Parameswaran Iyer spoke on the importance of Mission LiFE. The delegates from across the world were also given a glimpse of Mumbai’s Bollywood culture during a gala dinner in the evening at the Taj Palace Hotel. Following the dinner and the cultural program, the delegates also went out for a walk to the Gateway of India which has been lit up magnificently in the colours of India’s G20 Logo.