On the 10th of September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the company of esteemed G20 leaders and distinguished heads of international organizations, paid a solemn tribute to the revered Mahatma Gandhi at the hallowed grounds of Rajghat.
Notable leaders such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Spain's Vice-President Nadia Calvino, and Minister of Economy of the United Mexican States, Raquel Buenrostro Sánchez, came together to honor the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. They tenderly laid wreaths and received a warm welcome from PM Modi, who presented them with Khadi shawls adorned with a silhouette of Gandhi Ashram as a gesture of respect.
Subsequently, these distinguished leaders engaged in a tree-planting ceremony at Rajghat before proceeding to the third session of the G20 summit, titled 'One Future,' at Bharat Mandapam.
The Rajghat venue was beautifully adorned with vibrant flowers, creating a serene atmosphere for the solemn occasion. In light of the G20 Summit, security measures were intensively fortified across certain areas of the national capital to ensure the safety and smooth operation of the event. Traffic arrangements were meticulously organized to minimize disruptions, with controlled zones implemented along the Ring Road.
The central theme of this year's G20 Summit, conducted under India's presidency, is "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" or "One Earth · One Family · One Future." India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 of the previous year.
The schedule for the G20 summit included a visit to Delhi's Raj Ghat on Day 2, where the leaders paid their respects at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi and listened to a musical tribute featuring his favorite hymns. A significant tree-planting ceremony took place at the South Plaza of Bharat Mandapam, followed by the third session of the G20 summit, "One Future," to be held at Bharat Mandapam. Additionally, an exhibition catering to the spouses of world leaders was planned for the second day of the summit.
On the preceding day, September 9th, the Delhi Declaration was adopted, emphasizing the importance of upholding international law, territorial integrity, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system safeguarding global peace and stability. Of particular note was the unanimous approval of all 83 paragraphs of the declaration, a rare occurrence where even China and Russia voiced their concurrence, and notably, there were no footnotes or Chair's Summary for the first time in the declaration's history.
