On September 9, the leaders at the G20 Summit adopted the New Delhi Declaration in which India avoided blaming anyone for the Russia-Ukraine war. In the Declaration, only a general call to all states to follow the principle of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty was mentioned in terms of Ukraine.
With my young, dynamic & committed team of officers who have delivered 100% consensus on the G20 #NewDelhiLeadersDeclaration.
— Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) September 9, 2023
Abhay Thakur, @NagNaidu08, @ashishifs and @eenamg
Outstanding work! All credit to them! pic.twitter.com/PsvsfLCeeh
The consensus on the paragraphs related to Ukraine was the result of a series of hectic negotiations, with Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia playing the leading roles and standing by India’s stand on the matter.
200 hours of negotiations
Speaking to the media, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that it took over 200 hours of non-stop negotiations to bring all participating countries to a consensus on the G20 declaration. Kant’s team of diplomats, including Eanam Gambhir and K Nagraj Naidu, held 300 bilateral meetings. Around 15 drafts were circulated by the team with their counterparts on the Ukraine matter.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kant said, “The most complex part of the entire G20 was to bring consensus on the geopolitical paras (Russia-Ukraine). This was done over 200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings, 15 drafts.”
The most complex part of the entire #G20 was to bring consensus on the geopolitical paras (Russia-Ukraine). This was done over 200 hours of non -stop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings, 15 drafts. In this, I was greatly assisted by two brilliant officers – @NagNaidu08 & @eenamg pic.twitter.com/l8bOEFPP37
— Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) September 10, 2023
Notably, the G20 is divided over the Russia-Ukraine war. The Western countries pushed for strong condemnation of Russia in the Leaders’ Declaration. However, other participants were more focused on broader economic matters.
The Declaration read, “We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability.” It added, “We… welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives supporting a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine… The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.”
The diplomats who played a key role in developing the text of the Declaration
Four Indian Foreign Services diplomats who were part of India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant’s team played a vital role in developing the Declaration’s text that reached the final stage after months of work.
Abhay Thakur
Abhay Thakur is the additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is the G20 deputy or Sous Sherpa to Amitabh Kant. He has served as India’s envoy to Nigeria and Mauritius and reportedly handled matters related to Bhutan and Nepal.
K Nagraj Naidu
K Nagraj Naidu is the joint secretary and one of the lead negotiators on the Ukraine matter in the Declaration. He has served as Chef de Cabinet to the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid.
Eenam Gambhir
Eenam Gambhir is the joint secretary of G20 and the lone woman on Kant’s team. She has served as the First Secretary of the Indian Mission to the UN. Gambhir made headlines in September 2016 after she delivered India’s Right of Reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s UN General Assembly address.
At the time, she said, “The world has not yet forgotten that the trail of that cowardly attack led all the way to Abbottabad in Pakistan. The land of Taxila, one of the greatest learning centres of ancient times, is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism. It attracts aspirants and apprentices from all over the world. The effect of its toxic curriculum is felt across the globe.”
She consistently placed India’s remarks in the US throughout her tenure under then-MEA late Sushma Swaraj.
Ashish Sinha
Ashish has served in Madrid, Kathmandu, New York and Nairobi. He has reportedly been a key diplomat for over seven years in multilateral settings.
