This weekend's G20 declaration shows a "renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation", South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday.
Ramaphosa, host of the Johannesburg summit, managed to secure agreement on a final text addressing issues such as the climate crisis, despite strong objections from the United States, which boycotted the gathering.
At the closing ceremony, he said the outcome demonstrated that world leaders’ “shared goals outweigh our differences”.
U.S. President Donald Trump skipped the 22–23 November summit, on the grounds of allegations, which have been comprehensively falsified, that the host country's Black majority government persecutes its white minority.
He had also rejected South Africa's agenda of helping developing nations transition to clean energy, reduce crippling debt costs and adapt to climate change-related disasters.
Despite Washington's opposition, Ramaphosa secured consensus from the leaders present, aside from Argentina, which did not block the declaration.
It was the first G20 summit held in Africa, and the final text used language long resisted by the U.S. administration. It highlighted the seriousness of climate change, the need for adaptation, praised ambitious renewable energy targets and criticised the heavy debt burdens facing poorer nations.
The summit took place as tensions over Russia’s conflict in Ukraine strain the transatlantic alliance, and shortly after a frustrating COP30 in Brazil, where oil-producing and high-consuming nations prevented any reference to fossil fuels in the final declaration.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said both the G20 and COP30 showed that multilateralism remains alive.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the United States “was mentioned only in passing” at the G20 summit, adding it played a minor role as new geopolitical connections emerge.
“It wasn’t a good decision for the American government to be absent,” he said.
The United States takes over the rotating G20 presidency after Johannesburg, but South Africa rejected a U.S. proposal to send an embassy official for the handover in Trump’s place, calling it a breach of protocol.
The White House accused Ramaphosa of refusing to facilitate a smooth transition, but South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said they had not received formal communication.
“We remain open … It’s up to them,” he said.
Lamola noted it was a major achievement that the declaration acknowledged the need for climate finance for developing countries.
Alongside the surprise agreement on the declaration, world leaders also discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Trump’s proposed plan to end it in a series of meetings expected to continue in the coming days.
Street clashes broke out for a second night in the Tunisian city of Kairouan after a man died following a police pursuit, raising fears of wider unres...
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says international cooperation is essential for Syria’s recovery as investment slowly begins to return despite ...
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday (13 December) that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cam...
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices....
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defe...
Street clashes broke out for a second night in the Tunisian city of Kairouan after a man died following a police pursuit, raising fears of wider unrest as the country nears the anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman.
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in the conflict, Ukrainian authorities said.
A bulk carrier owned by a Turkish company was struck during a Russian attack on Ukraine’s southern coast on Friday.
Street clashes broke out for a second night in the Tunisian city of Kairouan after a man died following a police pursuit, raising fears of wider unrest as the country nears the anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says international cooperation is essential for Syria’s recovery as investment slowly begins to return despite the scale of destruction after years of conflict.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday (13 December) that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cambodia border until Bangkok believes there is no longer a threat to Thai territory or civilians.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment