G20 HOLDS FIRST SFWG MEET
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Union Minister of AYUSH and Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the first meeting of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) at a city hotel in Guwahati today.
Sonowal welcomed the delegates and highlighted the diverse ethnicity and culture of Guwahati. He said that culture, heritage and spirit of conservation of nature in Guwahati are reflective of India's pro-planet and people-centric approach.
Around 125 delegates,95 from foreign countries, were present at the meeting. The breakup of the delegates is – two representatives from the USA, one from Mexico, two from Argentina, three from Brazil, five from the European Union, two from Saudi Arabia, one from Singapore, two from Germany, one from the Republic of Korea, two from UAE, two from South Africa, six from China, two from Switzerland, two from Nigeria, one from Turkey, three from Italy, three from France, five from Indonesia, one from Australia, three from Japan, four from Russia, two from the UK, one from Spain, one from the Netherlands along with high officials of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), two from NDB, two from the Bank for International Settlement, one from International Finance Corporation, two from Coalition Disaster Resilience Infrastructure, three from AIIB, five from UNDP, one from OFCD and one from the European Investment Bank.
The delegates took a yoga break in during the meeting. The organizers took the delegates to the Brahmaputra Carnival festival where they explored Assam's culture.
Earlier, explaining the role of traditional medicine in a sustainable future, Sonowal said, "The aim is to channelize India's ancient wisdom and traditional knowledge and capitalize on it to pave the way for a sustainable future".
USA co-chair of SFWG (Sustainable Finance Working Group), Larry McDonald, expressed gratitude and appreciation for Sonowal on behalf of the SFWG. He stated that the combination of his responsibilities like promoting a green and sustainable shipping system and promoting health and well-being is very relevant to the work, goals and aspirations of the SFWG.
The G20 SFWG aims to mobilize sustainable finance to help ensure global growth and stability and promote the transition towards a greener, more resilient, and inclusive societies and economies. The G20 SFWG in Guwahati will discuss how to mobilize finance for tackling climate change, funding newly developed low-carbon technologies, and identify instruments to finance Sustainable Development Goals, including nature and biodiversity, besides discussing ways and means to increase the capacity of countries to understand and mobilize sustainable finance.
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