Sikkim Set to Host C20 Summit in Gangtok on April 29-30

The gathering is expected to draw 200 guests from 22 countries, with many more from across the world joining the conclave online. The inaugural event on April 29 will be attended by Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay, Land Revenue Minister Kunga Nima Lepcha, Ambassador of Uganda, AmbJoyce Kikafunda, and C20 Principal Coordinator, Amb.

Vijay Nambiar, who will also speak. Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, President of Amrita University and Troika Member of C20, will give the awards.

The Governor of Sikkim, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, will deliver the closing remarks on April 30. The event will also be attended by the Ambassador of Gambia to India, Amb. Mustafa Jawara, as well as Thongam Biswajit Singh, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Power, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Government of Manipur.

Amrita University (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham) in Kerala is organizing the colloquium in partnership with the Government of Sikkim. The State government is represented by the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) and the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department as co-organizers of the conference.

"C20 India 2023 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 that provides a platform for civil society organizations (CSO) around the world to voice the people's aspirations to the world leaders at the G20's 2023 Summit in India," said C20 India Working Group Coordinator and Provost, Amrita University, Dr Maneesha Sudheer and Sikkim Land Revenue and Disaster Management department secretary Anil Raj Rai at a press conference in Gangtok on Thursday.

The C20 India 2023 Working Group on Sustainable and Resilient Communities - Climate, Environment, and Net Zero Targets is one of 14 C20 India 2023 Working Groups. The C20 Conclave is a major event under India's G20 Presidency that aims to bring out extensive dialogue and engagement with Civil Society Organizations, policymakers, representatives from government and non-governmental organizations, and academicians from around the world to understand existing global policies related to sustainability and resilient communities, as well as to further identify gaps and come up with innovative solutions that will then be presented to the G20 nats.

Dr. Sudheer expressed his enthusiasm for the Sikkim conference. "A state that is truly an example of sustainability and resilience, with the SSDMA on the landslip early warning system since 2013," she said. The conclave would allow people to learn how Sikkim has implemented best practices and taken proactive initiatives to improve climate resilience and catastrophe risk reduction."

The conclave will bring together CSOs from around the world to discuss the themes of Climate Resilience & Social Justice, Environment Sustainability, Net-Zero Emission Management, and Compassion Driven Approaches. Policy discussions among a diverse range of stakeholders will yield proposals for the G20 leadership team, according to the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham spokesperson.

"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," Sudheer said. In his presentation, Sikkim Land Revenue Secretary Anil Raj Rai expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay and the State government for holding the C20 conference in the state, as well as to Amrita University for selecting Gangtok as the venue for the event.

The conclave will provide an opportunity for the state to put its sustainable and resilient practices on the map of the G20. He also stated that the C20 conclave in the State capital would include training sessions on Sustainable Development & Climate Resilience and Energy Sustainability & Net Zero Targets, in addition to the plenary sessions at Chintan Bhawan, in which teachers and students from various schools and colleges at NB Bhandari Degree College, Tadong, and Janta Bhawan, DPH will be heavily involved.

The event aims to provide a forum for stakeholders from around the world to collaborate and exchange ideas, as well as a way for academics, professionals, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to participate in G20 policy talks. Other dignitaries from the G20 countries will also attend the event. There will also be international and local speakers from government and civil society.