G20 Summit: PM Modi calls for inclusive growth, drug-terror crackdown, and skills training in Africa

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday, presenting different initiatives aimed at reshaping global development around India’s civilisational values.

Speaking at the session on “Inclusive and sustainable economic growth leaving no one behind,” he emphasised the need to rethink global development models, which have often left large portions of world populations without resources and stressed natural ecosystems, especially in Africa.

“With Africa hosting the G20 Summit for the first time, now is the right moment to focus on growth that is inclusive and sustainable. India’s principle of Integral Humanism offers a way forward,” he said.

PM Modi highlighted the growing threat of lethal synthetic drugs like fentanyl, warning about their impact on public health, social stability, and security. He proposed a G20 Initiative to Counter the Drug-Terror Nexus, aiming to disrupt trafficking networks, block illicit financial flows, and cut off a key source of terrorism funding.

He also suggested creating a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository under the G20 to collect and share eco-friendly, culturally rich, and socially cohesive practices from around the world. “This repository will help pass on proven traditional wisdom that promotes health, well-being, and sustainable living,” he explained.

To improve global healthcare preparedness, PM Modi proposed a G20 Global Healthcare Response Team: trained medical experts from G20 nations ready for emergencies or natural disasters.

Finally, he outlined the G20-Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative to boost African development. Using a train-the-trainers approach, the initiative aims to create one million certified trainers in Africa over the next decade. These trainers would help skill millions of young people, supported and financed by all G20 partners.

Through these initiatives, PM Modi emphasised that global growth should not only be economic but also socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and rooted in shared human values.