The G20 Summit kicked off in Johannesburg on Saturday. The debut summit is hosted by South Africa and is set to run for two days.
In his opening remarks, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa affirmed that his country is committed to maintaining the position of the G20 nations and reinforcing international cooperation to confront a variety of global challenges.
South Africa is keen to incorporate the development priorities of the Global South and Africa into the agenda, with multilateralism serving as a vehicle for surmounting global challenges, Ramaphosa underlined.
He stressed that it is impossible to counter threats unless collaboration and partnerships are forged, indicating that the summit leaders' adoption of a joint declaration will be a consequential indication of multilateral capacity to achieve outcomes.
The issues of Ukraine and climate change occupy a central position at the summit, with former US President Donald Trump's plan to bring the war in Ukraine to a close overshadowing the discussions, according to earlier remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The summit carries symbolic significance, as it is convened for the first time on African soil and marks the conclusion of the Global South's cycle of presidencies within the Group of Twenty, following Indonesia (2022), India (2023), and Brazil (2024).
In essence, South Africa has incorporated among its foremost priorities during its G20 presidency this year the establishment of an international commission dedicated to issues of economic inequality, along the lines of the UN commission mandated with climate change.
The agenda of the summit likewise includes easing debt burdens, as well as the critical minerals essential for the energy transition, and artificial intelligence.
International
In G20 opening remarks, South African President underscores importance of multilateralism and forging partnerships
