G20 development ministers' meet fails to reach consensus on reference to Ukraine war

New Delhi, June 13

The G20 development ministers' meeting held in Varanasi on Monday failed to reach a consensus on the Russia-Ukraine war as differences arose between member nations over inclusion of its reference in the final outcome document and Chair's summary, with China and Russia objecting to it.

The outcome document, which contains 14 paragraphs, said in a footnote that "Russia disassociated itself from the status of this document as a common outcome because of references in para 10 and 11".

Another footnote said that China also objected to the reference of Ukraine crisis in the above-mentioned paragraphs.

"The war in Ukraine has further adversely impacted the global economy. There was a discussion on the issue. We reiterated our national positions as expressed in other fora, including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly... Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy - constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks," paragraph 10 said.

"There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions. Recognising that the G20 is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy," the paragraph 10 said further.

"It is essential to uphold international law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability. This includes defending all the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and adhering to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and infrastructure in armed conflicts. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible," paragraph 11 said.

"The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital. Today's era must not be of war," the paragraph concluded.

Meanwhile, the G20 development ministers' meeting, which was chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, delved into various developmental challenges facing the globe and adopted an India-initiated seven-year action plan to accelerate progress on the sustainable development goals through an inclusive roadmap.