Gangtok: Sikkim is preparing to host the Civil 20 (C20) India 2023, a working group focused on sustainable and resilient communities, climate, environment, and net-zero targets, from April 29-30 in the state capital.
The event is expected to attract 200 attendees from 22 nations. Many more people from around the world will join the conference through online mode.
The inaugural ceremony, scheduled for April 29, will be attended by Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay as the chief guest, along with Land Revenue Minister Kunga Nima Lepcha, Ambassador of Uganda, His Excellency AmbJoyce Kikafunda, C20 Principal Coordinator, Amb. Vijay Nambiar, who will also address the gathering. Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, President of Amrita University and Troika Member, C20, will deliver the felicitations.
The valedictory event, which will take place on April 30, will be addressed by the Governor of Sikkim, Lakshman Prasad Acharya. The event will also be graced by the Ambassador of Gambia to India, Amb. H.E. Mustafa Jawara, as the guest of honour, and Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Power, Agriculture, Science & Technology, Government of Manipur Thongam Biswajit Singh.
Amrita University (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham) in Kerala is organizing the conclave in collaboration with the Government of Sikkim. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) and the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department are co-organizers representing the State government for the event.
During a press conference in Gangtok on Thursday, C20 India Working Group Coordinator and Provost of Amrita University, Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, and Sikkim Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department Secretary, Anil Raj Rai, explained that C20 India 2023 is one of the official engagement groups of the G20. It provides a platform for civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world to voice people’s aspirations to world leaders at the G20’s 2023 Summit in India.
The C20 India 2023 Working Group on Sustainable and Resilient Communities – Climate, Environment and Net Zero Targets is one of the 14 working groups formed under C20 India 2023. The C20 conclave is a significant event under India’s G20 Presidency, aimed at facilitating extensive dialogue and engagement with civil society organizations, policymakers, representatives from government and non-governmental agencies, and academicians from around the world. The goal is to understand existing global policies related to sustainable and resilient communities, identify gaps, and come up with innovative solutions to present to the G20 nations at the summit in September 2023.
Dr. Sudheer expressed delight that the conference is being held in Sikkim, which is a state that serves as a prime example of sustainability and resilience. She highlighted the work of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) on the landslide early warning system since 2013. The conclave provides an opportunity for people to witness how Sikkim has adopted best practices and taken proactive measures to enhance climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.
The conclave will enable civil society organizations from all over the world to come to Sikkim and discuss thematic areas such as Climate Resilience & Social Justice, Environment Sustainability, Net-Zero Emission Management, and Compassion Driven Approaches. Policy deliberations among various stakeholders will result in recommendations to be presented to the G20 leadership team, as per the representative of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.
“The conclave would bring out dialogues and deliberations to bring out the voice of CSOs to G20 leadership to address the pressing challenges of the day and urged for support from multi-stakeholders to pave the way to develop scalable models that can be adopted to multiple countries”, said Sudheer.
Sikkim Land Revenue Secretary, Anil Raj Rai, expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay and the State government for hosting the C20 conclave in the state. He also thanked Amrita University for selecting the State capital, Gangtok, as the venue for the event. The conclave will provide an opportunity for the State to showcase its sustainable and resilient practices on the G20 map.
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Anil Raj Rai also mentioned that the C20 conclave in the State capital will include training sessions on Sustainable Development & Climate Resilience and Energy Sustainability & Net Zero Targets, which will be held parallel to the plenary sessions at Chintan Bhawan. These sessions will be largely attended by teachers and students from various schools and colleges at NB Bhandari Degree College, Tadong, and Janta Bhawan, DPH.
The event aims to provide stakeholders from all over the world a platform to collaborate and exchange ideas, as well as to give academics, professionals, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) a way to participate in the G20 policy discussions. Several other notable dignitaries from the G20 nations will also attend the event, and international and local speakers from the government and civic society will be present.
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