By South Africa will be faced with a daunting task of heading the G20 from 1 December 2024, and advocate pressing issues for the Global South and the African continent as a member and representative of both.
The Minister for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Mr Ronald Lamola says South Africa’s G20 Presidency will be one of the largest national projects, requiring a whole of-government and society approach.
South Africa is expected to assume the G20 Presidency role from 1 December 2024, after the summit in Brazil to take place from 18 to 19 November 2024. South Africa will be taking over from Brazil as the President of the G20.
“Preparation for the year-long calendar of meetings culminating in the Summit will require extensive coordination, collaboration, consultation, and cooperation across all sectors within South Africa and amongst other Member countries and International Organisations.
While processes are still underway to finalise South Africa’s priorities for its G20 presidency, its clear that this Presidency will provide an opportunity for South Africa to raise issues that are critical to the countries of the Global South, particularly those from the African Continent,” said Minister Lamola.
Lamola says the development provides South Africa with a unique opportunity to become a mouth piece for developing economies by raising their needs on the G20 platform. He said the country will follow on the footsteps of its G20 Presidency predecessors like Indonesia, India, and Brazil and build on their efforts and successes.
“South Africa has consistently championed development issues and prioritised the concerns of African and developing countries in the G20. It has also highlighted how a policy initiative intended to address a problem in a developed economy may have an adverse impact on developing countries.
We are also vocal advocates of the need to reform the global governance system, particularly the global financial architecture. While the calls for more rapid and fundamental reforms have grown louder in recent years, the debate must advance toward tangible outcomes,” said Lamola.
The Minister said the G20 Summit in 2025 will be the first on African soil. As part of its leadership of the G20, South Africa intends to hold meetings (both virtual and in-person) across the country from 01 Dec 2024 to 30 Nov 2025 and on the margins of major international conferences and meetings.
“All provinces will be able to host both Ministerial and sectorial meetings. In this regard, the G20 Presidency will provide a significant opportunity for the Provinces, Cities, Municipalities, Traditional Authorities and other related stakeholders to promote their cultural, heritage, tourism and innovation industries to the tens of thousands of delegates and support staff, from some of the world’s most developed and developing economies who are expected to be in South Africa throughout the year 2025,” he concluded.
