Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his remarks at the G20 Summit on Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa, unveiling three major global initiatives aimed at reshaping development frameworks and strengthening cooperation with Africa.
Speaking at the opening session of the G20 Summit—hosted in Africa for the first time—Prime Minister Modi called for a profound rethinking of global development parameters. Addressing the theme “Inclusive and sustainable economic growth leaving no one behind,” he said that while the G20 has long influenced global finance and growth, existing models have deprived large populations of essential resources and contributed to the over-exploitation of nature, challenges particularly evident across the African continent.
The Prime Minister outlined three path-breaking initiatives:
1. Global Traditional Knowledge Repository
PM Modi proposed the creation of a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository under the G20, recognising that communities across the world preserve eco-balanced, culturally rich, and socially cohesive ways of living. India’s Indian Knowledge Systems initiative, he said, can serve as the foundation for this platform.
The repository would document and share traditional wisdom that reflects time-tested models of sustainable living, ensuring such knowledge is preserved for future generations.
2. G20–Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative
Emphasising that Africa’s development is in the global interest, the Prime Minister called for the launch of a G20-Africa Skills Multiplier initiative.
The programme would use a train-the-trainers model across sectors, supported and financed by all G20 partners. The collective goal is to create one million certified trainers in Africa over the next decade, who would subsequently help skill millions of young people across the continent.
3. G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus
PM Modi also raised alarm over the growing spread of lethal synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, noting their severe impact on public health, social stability, and global security.
He proposed a dedicated G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus to unify financial, governance, and security tools. The initiative aims to disrupt trafficking networks, block illicit financial flows, and weaken a major funding source for terrorism.
PM Modi’s proposals, presented at a historic G20 session on African soil, set the tone for stronger global cooperation on sustainable development, skills empowerment, and security challenges.
