South Africa’s presidency of the G20 is presented as a significant diplomatic achievement, particularly given the hostile context created by US President Donald Trump’s boycott of the Johannesburg summit and Washington’s pressure on other members not to sign the final communiqué. Despite this, South Africa secured consensus among the remaining 19 countries and regional organisations, leading to the adoption of a 30-page Leaders’ Declaration. This outcome is cited as the first major success of South Africa’s presidency.
The declaration, comprising 120 paragraphs, addressed the broad “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability” theme set by South Africa. It covered major policy areas including debt sustainability and access to affordable finance, just energy transition funding, critical minerals, inequality, illicit financial flows, inclusive growth, and a second phase of the Compact with Africa. South Africa also drove the launch of several initiatives during its G20 year, marking the second dimension of its achievement.
A core accomplishment was gaining recognition for South Africa’s five-year campaign to establish an African Engagement Framework within the G20 finance track. This framework aims to strengthen cooperation between African states and G20 members on financial and developmental issues. Leaders also expressed support for working group initiatives spanning illicit financial flows, artificial intelligence, infrastructure, air quality, public health, and sustainable development. Importantly, they backed a ministerial declaration on debt reform, which outlines measures to support low- and middle-income countries facing mounting debt burdens.
South Africa introduced the Ubuntu Legacy Initiative, intended to finance cross-border African infrastructure. Additionally, members agreed to form an Ubuntu Commission to promote research and dialogue on cooperative responses to global challenges, rooted in the African philosophical notion of ubuntu—mutual care, interconnectedness and collective responsibility. A final success was South Africa’s effective orchestration of more than 130 meetings throughout the G20 calendar, demonstrating administrative competence and leadership.
However, the article stresses that the summit was not an unqualified success. Major geopolitical tensions—ranging from the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan to US-led obstruction in multilateral negotiations and Trump’s tariff-driven trade conflicts—constrained the scope for substantive agreements. The result was a declaration characterised by high-level generalities rather than specific, binding commitments. While the leaders endorsed several voluntary principles and expressed broad support for international financial institutions and particular South African-led initiatives, these endorsements were not accompanied by actionable timelines or deliverables. This lack of specificity is highlighted as a central limitation.
The article argues that because the G20 operates as a voluntary forum without binding authority, the effectiveness of the declaration ultimately depends on how governments and non-state actors use it to drive action. This is especially critical for Africa, where over 20 countries are in, or close to, debt distress. The declaration recognises these challenges, endorsing the finance ministers’ statement on debt sustainability, reaffirming the Common Framework for debt restructuring (despite its slow progress), and supporting the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, which aims to improve restructuring processes.
To convert these statements into real outcomes, three actions are recommended.
- First, African governments should form a regional borrowers’ forum to exchange experiences, coordinate negotiating positions, and engage with non-state actors—building on the work of the African Expert Panel and African finance ministers.
- Second, African civil society should develop mechanisms to hold leaders and creditors accountable for implementing the declaration.
- Third, non-state actors should launch a review of how the IMF’s operational practices need to evolve, ensuring its expanding focus—on climate, gender and inequality—translates into meaningful policy changes for debtor countries.
Source: Danny Bradlow –The Conversation
The post South Africa’s G20 presidency: Diplomatic victory? Weak final declaration? Or both? appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
South Africa’s presidency of the G20 is presented as a significant diplomatic achievement
The post South Africa’s G20 presidency: Diplomatic victory? Weak final declaration? Or both? appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
