International RelationsImportant2025-09-25

India at Second G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting

In News

What Happened

On September 25, 2025, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the Second G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New York, convened under South Africa's G20 presidency. He highlighted the intrinsic link between international peace and global development, noting that both are deteriorating in parallel. He strongly condemned the double standards of nations accommodating state-sponsored terrorism and called for urgent reforms in multilateral institutions.

Why It Matters

This event reinforces India's firm stance against international terrorism and nuclear blackmail while positioning the nation as a leading advocate for the Global South. It underscores India's demand to reform outdated multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, to ensure equitable economic security and global stability.

Background

History & Context

The G20, initially established as a premier economic forum, has increasingly integrated geopolitical and security discussions into its agenda. South Africa assumed the G20 presidency in December 2024, becoming the first African nation to host it. India has historically campaigned for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), a proposed UN treaty from 1996 to criminalize all forms of international terrorism. Jaishankar's address capitalized on the UN General Assembly sidelines to push these counter-terrorism and reform priorities.

What Changed

▶
BEFORE: Multilateral discussions often treated geopolitical conflicts and economic development as separate domains. NOW: India and the G20 explicitly correlate international peace with global development, arguing that terrorism directly threatens economic stability.
▶
BEFORE: International bodies often displayed tolerance or accommodation toward countries using cross-border terrorism as state proxies. NOW: India strongly asserted a 'no impunity' policy, criticizing double standards and declaring it will not yield to nuclear blackmail.
▶
BEFORE: The UN and global financial frameworks operated without sufficient representation or policy input from developing nations. NOW: India actively uses platforms like the G20 to bolster the Global South's voice, demanding structural reforms to make these institutions accountable.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This event directly connects to Class 12 Political Science Chapter 6 - 'International Organisations', which discusses the need for reforming the UN and restructuring global bodies to reflect contemporary realities. India's advocacy for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) and its critique of the UN's limitations illustrate the chapter's focus on the challenges of multilateralism.

Practice Questions

Q1

With Reference To

With reference to India's agenda at the Second G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New York (2025), consider the following statements: 1. India emphasized the direct correlation between global development and international peace. 2. India officially withdrew its proposal for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) to align with South Africa's priorities. 3. India criticized the double standards of nations accommodating state-sponsored terrorism. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Up next