The first official engagement group on religion in the G20, the R20 Summit, will kick off in Bali, Indonesia on Wednesday ahead of the annual summit that brings together the leaders of the world's 20 largest economies.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo is scheduled to inaugurate the G20 Religion Summit, which will be hosted this year by the Muslim World League (MWL) in partnership with the Indonesian Ulema Council that boasts 120 million Muslim followers.
MWL Secretary-General Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa will deliver an opening speech to express religion's vital role in resolving global problems and providing more comprehensive and integrated solutions to the most critical contemporary humanitarian issues.
The General Chairman of the Indonesian Islamic association Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Sheikh Yahya Cholil Staquf, will also give a speech during the inauguration.
The two-day event will include the participation of prominent G20 religious leaders during seven plenary sessions and the opening session. It will bring together more than 400 participants, including 160 inter-religious figures from the world's 20 largest economies.
During the inaugural session, religious leaders will take turns giving speeches and discussing pressing issues, including the inclusion of religious minorities, the refugee situation, and other religiously, intellectually, and culturally controversial issues, along with relevant political matters.
The summit will conclude with the recitation of the closing statement and the handing over of the presidency to India, which will host the second edition of the R20 Summit in parallel with its hosting of the G20 Summit in 2023.
R20 is being held at the initiative and in partnership between the MWL and the Nahdlatul Ulama. Indonesia holds the presidency of the G20 this year, and Bali will host the organization's main annual summit on Nov. 15 and 16.
