PM Modi writes to leaders of G20 nations, seeking full membership for African Union

 

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to the leaders of the G20 nations proposing that the African Union be given full membership of the grouping at its upcoming summit in India, official sources said on Saturday. The prime minister has taken a ‘bold step’ to enhance Africa’s voice on the international stage and in shaping the future of ‘our shared world’, they said.

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of 55 member states. India is hosting the G20 summit in Delhi in September in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping. ‘He (PM Modi) has written to G20 counterparts to propose that the African Union be given full membership at the upcoming Delhi Summit of G20, as requested by them’, said a source. ‘The Prime Minister has led from the front on this matter, which he strongly advocates and supports’, it said.

This will be a right step towards a just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance, the sources said. As part of India’s G20 presidency, PM Modi has been particularly focusing on incorporating priorities of the African countries in the G20 agenda. In January, India hosted the Voice of the Global South Summit with an aim to highlight the problems and challenges facing developing countries. The African Union is considered the top-most grouping representing the voice of Africa.

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies. The members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). It has been working towards ensuring progress and economic growth of the African nations. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).