In a major development, Jammu and Kashmir will host the G20, an influential group that brings together the world’s major economies; in 2023, the Union government on Thursday formed a high-level committee of five senior executives for overall coordination.

This will be the first major international summit in Jammu and Kashmir after the special position guaranteed by Article 370 of the Constitution was withdrawn and divided into two federal territories in August 2019.

In September last year, Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal were appointed the G20 Indian Sherpa. India’s foreign ministry said that India will assume the rotating presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022, and will hold the first G20 leader’s summit in 2023. According to an official order issued on Thursday by the chief secretary of the Union Territory Housing Ministry, the committee was set up based on a June 4 notification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Committee members include Commissioner Secretary (Transportation), Administrative Secretary (Tourism), Administrative Secretary (Hospitality and Protocol) and Administrative Secretary (Culture). “In addition, the Principal Secretary of the Department of Government, Housing and Urban Development has also been nominated as a UT-level Nodal Officer to coordinate the arrangements for the G-20 meeting to be held in J&K United Territories,” the order said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led India’s participation in the G20 summit since 2014. India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999. Under the multilateral environmental agreement, India will be the troika of the G20 (former, current and December 1, 2021) until November 30, 2024.

Under multilateral environmental agreements, the G20 brings together 19 major economies and the European Union. Its members account for more than 80% of global GDP, 75% of global trade and 60% of the world’s population.
G20 members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US.