G7 : Analysis – UPSC GS2

Read basics about G7 from Prelims Notes.
Context:
India participated as a guest in 2021 G7 Summit held in UK.
Challenges and Concerns:
  • Disagreements among members:
    • Internally the G7 has a number of disagreements, e.g. clash of the USA with other members over taxes on imports and action on climate change.
    • The organisation has also been criticised for not reflecting the current state of global politics or economics.
  • Not Representative:
    • There are no G7 members from Africa, Latin America or the southern hemisphere.
    • It is also facing a challenge from fast-growing emerging economies, like India and Brazil are not members of the G7.
    • However, G-20 was formed in 1999, in response to a felt need to bring more countries on board to address global economic concerns.
India and G-7
  • Previous Participation:
    • The participation of India at the 45th summit in Biarritz, France, in August 2019 is a reflection of deepening strategic partnership and recognition of India as a major economic power.
    • India was also invited for the 2020 summit hosted by the USA which could not take place due to the pandemic.
    • Previously India had attended the G-8 summit (it became G-7 from G-8 with the expulsion of Russia in 2014) five times between 2005 and 2009.
  • Important Platform for Deliberations:
    • India’s ability to safeguard its core sovereign concerns such as trade, Kashmir issue and India’s relations with Russia and Iran can be discussed with G7 members.
  • Taking on Global Stage:
    • India raised issues on climate change and at meetings which signalled India’s growing willingness to lead on issues that are points of contention for countries like China and the USA.
Significance of India at G7:
  • As current president of Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) and G20 president in 2023, India will play a key role driving in multilateral cooperation helping to build back better around the world.
Significance of 2021 G7 Summit:
  • joint statement on Open Societies was adopted. The statement reaffirms and encourages the values of freedom of expression, both online and offline.
  • Indian Participation shows it is a natural ally of the G-7 and its partners. Laying emphasis on shared democratic values that bind India with the West shows a greater willingness to cooperate with India.
  • The summit can be seen as the beginning of institutionalization of India’s cooperation with the West.
  • The joint statement on open societies shows a willingness to construct an alliance of democratic countries. This can be leveraged as a common platform to counter China’s assertiveness over India and the western countries.
  • It also shows the revived importance of the grouping in comparison to the G20.
  • The revival has been on account of China’s rise in the global economic order and rising U.S-China and U.S-Russia rivalry.
  • India has called for a “one earth, one health” approach. It aims for unity and solidarity among the states of the world to deal with the pandemic.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top