Issues on the agenda at G20 finance meeting in South Africa

G20 finance officials are meeting in South Africa amid trade tensions, global economic slowdown, and U.S. threats to withdraw from multilateral organizations, as host President Cyril Ramaphosa advances an African agenda on debt distress, high capital costs, and climate change. Key discussions focus on reforming the slow-progressing G20 Common Framework for debt relief, addressing funding gaps from aid cuts, reduced Chinese lending, and U.S. exits from initiatives like the Just Energy Transition Partnership, alongside countering tariff threats on major economies. South Africa aims to strengthen multilateral development banks and mobilize climate disaster funding. The meetings seek a consensus communique, underscoring potential fractures in global cooperation and opportunities for emerging powers.