Thread by @sridhartweet

Here we go. 1st intl work trip since Feb 2020.

I used to travel outside UK almost once a month before 2020 -spreading msg of health justice.

I know I will not do that again soon, if ever. Let’s see if we can spread the message without as many airplane trips!

#Raisina2022 🤞🏾

The reason for travel.

The Raisina Dialogue 2022.

orfonline.org/raisina-dialog…

Almost show time. Tedros one week. Then Boris. Now Ursula.

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If you look closely you’ll see a former PM of Canada.

The sponsors are worth a research paper in themselves.

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She’s focusing on democracy, Ukraine, and Russia-China friendship.

Nothing about pandemic.

“With Europe what you see is what you get”

Dinner session. Vaccine apartheid.

Apparently it was not only the UK that did a fantastic job handling the pandemic. India has also done amazingly well. And led by the PM.

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Interesting time. One is for the TRIPS waiver. One is against.

“We are against” - we being her employer.

Day 2 #raisina2022

Is liberal order an oxymoron?

orfonline.org/raisina-dialog…

Interesting thing is panel is largely conservative former PMs n officials talking about defending liberals.

“It’s like the 1930s”

"the end of history history" was ridiculous.
now we are talking about end of liberalism.

how can nations come together in dealing w 21st C challenges -

India's response - stop the hypocrisies. same nations buy oil from Russia. same countries have overthrown govts.

intl order

rules of the games
vs the jungle

basic rule is you don't unilaterally invade another sovereign country

how to get out of toxicity - winners need to be generous. losers are screwed.

First question come from leader of political party of Taiwan.

Will world’s democracy protect Taiwan

‘Countries protect self interest not democracy’ - except USA. It sometimes fights for ideals.

S Harper - former PM of Canada

I don't know if the world will protect Taiwan if threatened by China.

I hope they do.

Taiwan is a threat to China because it disproves China model as the best way for growth.

you should watch this session recording.

response to Harper.

No. Taiwan's growth was because of dictatorship not democracy.

If the largest democracy in the world (India) is excluded from the highest decision making bodies in the world, then how can there be rules? how are the rules legitimate?

the intl rules need to be evolved.

India’s Minister of External Affairs

Q: what keeps you awake?
A: jet lag

Shocks- afghanistan 2021, pandemic Ukraine

India- foreign policy - concentric circles starting w neighbourhood

Self reliance - resources mindset obligations

How does India see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

Fighting must stop n diplomacy must lead

Afghanistan civil society was thrown under bus. Not just Ukraine.

We all must balance Interests values experience

you should watch the recording

Q from a Euro minister: what has Russian minister told you to justify invasion

A: he has been dealing w Euro ministers more than me.

yes Ukraine but also afghanistan, challenges in Asia

there are more crises in the world

As India Ocean countries, we need to reclaim our histories.

we were prosperous countries. interrupted by colonialism. how do we rebuild? we need to partner with each other and be self-reliant.

Indian ocean and pacific ocean countries is become more unified.

Member of Parliament from Mauritius.

How is India helping w
Knock on effects of Ukraine on food n energy

More generally helping countries like in region

India will help w world food shortages. South South solidarity is long term agenda. 1000 projects so far.

Minister from Peru - there is usually not much talk about India and Latin America.

A: era of distance means indifference is no longer.
trade and IT have big footprint in LA.

next year, let's focus more on latin america. and LA's relationship to Asia

question from American -

what is India's approach economics in the region given China. bilateral and regional agreements?

India - take an expansive view of 'democratic space' (not liberalism or democracies) and seek to cooperate.

we need to work together on -
covid - missed the bus on that
connectivity
climate change

i'm looking forward to this session later today.
Moderator is Shashi Tharoor. Who would have been UN Sec General if the US had not blocked it.

He is now a member of parliament, and likely foreign policy advisor despite being in opp party.

recc book
amazon.in/NEW-WORLD-DISO…

health panels conf. health is more prominent than years before, but clearly one of many issues - tech, climate, regional issues, etc

#RaisinaDialogue2022

Current panel on energy transition.

“Rich countries polluted the world while developing. 78% carbon space is rich countries.”

It’s not a matter of lack of finance but (their) political will.

flying camera

Looks like this is the livecast of the conference.

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Here is recording of the session with S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs India

if you listen carefully, you will see what the 'philosophy' of India is re foreign policy

concentric circles, self-reliance, end to hypocrisies in IR

#raisina2022

I know the issues are really important

But can I just take moment to highlight the wonderful Indian conference fashion.

Maybe I should also take on decolonize conf outfit mindset.
🤞🏾✊🏾

Elon Musk is on everyone’s mind today.

Min of Transport says Musk is welcome to make elec cars in India. But if he makes them in China n wants to sell them in India that would not be good.

Last night, an Indian covid expert asked my how UK is so complacent even though 300+ a day are dying from Covid. On a little island. More than USA.

I did not have an answer. How would explain it?

Current panel is on “Brussels effect”

EU and it’s power
EU and Russia - Putin.

Have you heard about ‘strategic sovereignty’

-Strategic sovereignty involves not being dependent on Russia for your energy, the US for your security or China for your corporate profits.-

#Globalhealth folks will need to come to terms with this

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theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

EU is based on power of language not language of power

Min of For Affairs, Luxembourg

The elephant in the room / discussion seems to be Germany. I think people don’t understand German dominance of EU.

Lunch panel is an interesting mashup- digital tech, health, SDGs, n diplomacy

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orfonline.org/raisina-dialog…

Imagine being responsible for 1.4 billion people

And also keep managing the unfair global environment for health

Secretary for Health & Family Welfare. Sec Rajesh Bhushan

#Raisina2022 #globalhealth

Gargee Ghosh, Head of Global Policy and Advocacy at Gates Foundation.

Reaching excluded requires clear policy efforts. Developing new tech is amaze but not enough.

Not sure who this guy is but seems to be talking on behalf of Indonesian govt.

Indonesia head of G20 - G7 is saying they won’t come if Russia attends.

It may be G19 or G13

Gates foundation looks at innovation as requiring 3 parts - innovation in product, access and policy.

Not just product innovation.

Indian Health Sec-

Digital tech has to focus on more than disease. We need to focus on wellness. Social wellness will follow.

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Next panel- the UN and it’s relevance or irrelevance

The UN as an actor and as a stage.
Former Asst Sec Gen of UN @ShashiTharoor

The UN is 3 things-

Secretariat
We the people
Dynamics of the few powerful states

Livecast of session on UN - relevance n existential crises

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In listening to these diplomats talk about UN crises - I’m thinking -

Glad I didn’t choose a career which is about getting through crisis after crisis while trying to move ahead

Global justice philosophers have really focused on the wrong problems. And moved ahead

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1 Demand of global governance and supply of global governance will be the widest it has ever been.

2 World dividing - Autocratic capitalist Socs vs liberal internationalist democracies

Large number won’t choose sides.

3 US can’t ratify anything in Senate so no intl reform

One poss solution is ‘small concerts’ small group of countries - CEOs NGOs xcross various lines aiming to solve big problems

UN is not path to paradise. UN protects us from sliding into hell.

Next panel. Russia and China have signed a ‘no limits’ partnership.

This is freaking out a lot of countries.

Hence a panel on what do we think about China after Ukraine invasion.

Russia invaded Ukraine to contain NATO n EU.

You should watch this if you want to learn about Ukraine n China.

Head of UK Defence
Head of Aussie intelligence
Etc.

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Do you know what is happening in Solomon Islands?

You probably should. China and other countries are fighting over spheres of influence borders.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o…

Trade with China. Richest countries are internally divided … some want more trade w China n Russia cuz more money is more money.

Dependency through trade is great risk. ( think needing PPE from China factories)

Germany will wean off Russian coal, oil, n gas by 2024.

Doing it too fast might result in industrial meltdown. Which would undermine response to Russia.

Germany spending more on defence n exporting arms to Ukraine.

Germany can’t act alone. NATO n EU decides.

All of us thought interdependence would stabilise intl order.

This belief has been destroyed

Weaponised trade.

More trade more peace - false thesis.

If Russia is economically crippled then China become only target left for USA.

Well that’s it for today folks! This conf goes all the way to 11pm.

I need to move around before eating again. Tmrw ! 🙏🏽

Ps- sadly man got in the way of global health conclave pic

Good morning world/ friends n colleagues.

Day 3 n final day. Global risk landscape

Begins with a Minister’s speech.

I had a chance this morning to meet the incredible @yodifiji

Ever since that BBC interview where she called out global racism she joined my list pandemic heroes!

Finally, and sadly a bit late, a champion for equity n justice in pandemic response. ✊🏾

Current panel - India at 75. Foreign diplomat views n Minister of External Affairs.

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Link to livestream / recording to India at 75 session.

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former PM of Canada says when Western left centrist media reports on India, they are usually just proxy critiques of domestic conservatives.

So what they see re India is what they don’t like about their domestic conservatives.

India’s External Affairs Minister wrote a book in late 2020.

The India Way

Book review -

thediplomat.com/2020/09/jaisha…

Q: Minister - w/o names tell us what foreign diplomats complain about re India n what they praise

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-democracy n 1st in region

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-social development
-manufacturing n tech
-not enough hard security issues

Future ‘capability,capability,capability’

Minister - India has to create better globalisation

Decentralised
Fair
Not weaponised

We can’t look at the world from view of entitlement. India has to earn its place. Show how world benefits from India’s growth / development.

The conference co-Organizer ORF has for years been running a Young Fellows programme - young parliamentarians and policy wonks from around the world.

Clever. I can sort of imagine the concept note for the programme.

They are starting young diplomat fellows programme soon.

The West needs India to address China and imperilled world order more than — India needs the West to deal with China in the South Asian region.

The West does not want a bifurcation in the world order.

Liberal internationalists vs autocratic capitalists

Finally got hold of a copy!

Let me know what you think.

How ‘we’ failed by treating this pandemic as biological/biomedical problem needing biomedical solution.

orfonline.org/research/raisi…

Sometimes there are conferences inside conferences inside conferences.

India will head G20 after Indonesia n before Brazil. What should they aim to achieve? What can they achieve given the state of the world?

Heads of orgs line up to suggest agendas

Well, that’s it for me at #Raisina2022

It’s been a mind expanding few days.

Thanks much to @raisinadialogue team and @samirsaran for including me.

I’ve learned a lot more #IR #globalhealth n #globaljustice things than I expected.

Good luck to us all. We need it.

If you care to start from Day 1.

#Raisina2022