Bangladesh in G20 summit: Unlocking new doors?
The G20 provides Bangladesh with a platform for forging bilateral partnerships, engaging in advocacy efforts, and reinforcing its credentials as a leader in the global south
Bangladesh is scheduled to join this year's G20 summit, being held on 9-10 September. With India at the helm of the G20, Bangladesh's participation in the summit brings forth a host of opportunities. Bangladesh has garnered praise for its advocacy on behalf of the global South, its focus on climate change issues, and its commitment to women's development.
These issues hold a prominent place on the G20 summit agenda, making Bangladesh's inclusion noteworthy and allowing the country to enhance its credentials in these areas. The summit also offers Bangladesh the opportunity to engage with non-traditional partners, achieve diplomatic breakthroughs, and alleviate diplomatic tensions.
Explaining Bangladesh's inclusion in the G20 Summit
The invitation to the G20 is a customary process, with the host country responsible for selecting guest countries. This outreach aims to expand cooperation with other nations and bolster the G20's legitimacy. In this context, Bangladesh has been included as an invitee for the upcoming G20 summit in September 2023.
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Bangladesh's membership in the G20 summit carries symbolic significance and can be explained on multiple grounds. Firstly, from an economic perspective, Bangladesh holds the position of India's largest trading partner and export market in South Asia. Given Bangladesh's burgeoning economic growth, it offers substantial potential for India.
Secondly, in terms of geostrategic considerations, Bangladesh's proximity to India's landlocked northeastern states reduces connectivity constraints. Additionally, Bangladesh remains committed to security issues important to India, with its "zero-tolerance" policy towards terrorism assisting in addressing secessionist movements in India's northeast.
Thirdly, in the context of connectivity, Bangladesh's strategic location at the juncture of South and Southeast Asia makes it a crucial component of India's Act East policy.
Considering Dhaka's multifaceted importance to India, Bangladesh has been invited as a symbolic gesture, signifying its rising significance to India and the broader region. As India seeks to shape a global agenda through the G20, securing Bangladesh's support is essential for enhancing India's influence in its neighbourhood. Moreover, this invitation bestows symbolic recognition on Bangladesh, further enhancing bilateral dynamics.
Hence, with India leading the G20, Bangladesh's most expedient bilateral opportunity lies in deepening its partnership with one of the "premier forums" for international economic cooperation. Engagement with the G20 can unlock short-term, medium-term, and long-term benefits for Bangladesh.
Watershed moments
The Global South is currently grappling with numerous crises stemming from prolonged exploitation by Western colonial powers, the Cold War's tense standoff, and the persistent dominance of global geopolitics. The Ukraine-Russia conflict has further exacerbated tensions between opposing global camps and limited the space for the Global South.
The status quo in global geopolitics has been rocked by severe crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. These crises have disrupted global geopolitics and presented challenges such as energy and food security, technology transfer, climate change, and energy transition. The Global South has borne the brunt of power rivalries among major nations.
As a prominent leader of the Global South, India has the potential to advocate for the multitude of challenges facing these countries. On critical issues like energy transition and climate change, India can take a strong stance in support of the Global South's interests.
Bangladesh, too, has consistently promoted the interests of the Global South on various occasions. As a champion of developing nations, Bangladesh can use this platform to advocate for third-world countries.
In the context of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and associated geopolitical issues, Bangladesh has maintained a neutral stance in the polarising global political landscape. Bangladesh has been squeezed by great power politics, and the war, along with subsequent food and energy security concerns, has taken a toll on the country. Therefore, this platform allows Bangladesh to express its dissatisfaction with the dividing world order and provides a space for fostering an alternative world order.
Tapping into multilateral opportunities
Bangladesh can achieve significant gains within the G20 by articulating its vision for the future global order and its perspectives on the myriad issues on this year's G20 summit agenda. The G20 summit emphasises cooperation on a range of issues, including green development, climate finance and LiFE, accelerated, inclusive, and resilient growth, accelerating progress on the SDGs, technological transformation and digital public infrastructure, and women-led development.
In the context of green development and climate finance, Bangladesh is considered a key stakeholder due to its vulnerability as a country. In the past, Bangladesh has represented the interests of climate-vulnerable nations in multilateral forums such as the COP and vigorously advocated for their rights.
Therefore, the inclusion of Bangladesh's perspective will further enhance its credibility on climate-related issues. Given that the summit focuses on inclusive and resilient growth, Bangladesh serves as a paradigm for fostering an inclusive economy that benefits various segments of society, including marginalised groups. Furthermore, Bangladesh's economy demonstrated resilience by registering positive growth even during the Covid-19 pandemic, reinforcing its relevance to these issues.
In terms of women-led development, Bangladesh's achievements in promoting women's development and integrating women into the development process will significantly enrich the discussion and deliberation process. Bangladesh's stake in the issues featured on the agenda will allow the country to contribute its viewpoints, making the forum more representative and comprehensive.
Moreover, with the wide range of participants at the G20 summit, Bangladesh can establish connections with non-traditional partners. Given recent strains in bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States, engaging in sideline diplomacy with the US and India could significantly improve bilateral affairs. Therefore, the G20 provides Bangladesh with a platform for forging bilateral partnerships, engaging in advocacy efforts, and reinforcing its credentials as a leader in the Global South.
Kazi Asszad Hossan is a researcher affiliated with the Central Foundation for International and Strategic Studies (CFISS). The author graduated from the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
