G20 Summit | South Africa puts Africa, Global South at the heart of G20 agenda

The article covers the historic G20 summit hosted by South Africa in Johannesburg, marking the first such event on the African continent and a significant achievement for Africa, with the African Union gaining a permanent seat to enhance Africa's voice in global decision-making. Attended by world leaders amid a challenging geopolitical landscape, the summit emphasized reviving multilateralism and focused on key global imperatives: ending poverty, reducing inequality within and among countries, combating climate change, and addressing the growing debt burdens in developing economies. Discussions consolidated progress on debt restructuring and prioritized climate-economy integration, regulatory tools for economies, disaster risk reduction, food security, accessible finance, and fair technology transfer, rather than centering on geopolitical crises. Leaders, including from Namibia, praised South Africa's hosting, the warm arrangements, and Johannesburg's backdrop, while highlighting Africa's rising importance in the global economy. Namibia outlined its efforts to transform its food system by reducing import dependence, boosting domestic production, and building climate-resilient agriculture through irrigation, water harvesting, storage, and rural value chains. A notable issue was the U.S. boycott of the event, leading to a modified handover ceremony where South Africa symbolically passed the presidency baton to a U.S. representative of equivalent rank, honoring the outcomes of its tenure. The summit concluded with a widely accepted declaration by key G20 members, signaling eagerness for transformative global changes.