South Africa Urges Cooperation to Tackle Modern Challenges as Continent Hosts Its First G20 Meeting

As Africa hosts its first G20 meeting, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged international cooperation to tackle modern challenges, underscoring the continent's rising influence on the world stage.

"Our modern-day challenges can only be resolved through collaboration, partnership and solidarity. As a premier forum for international economic cooperation, the G20 needs to play a leading role in the global agenda for people, planet and prosperity. As we strive towards a common purpose, let us remember that cooperation is our greatest strength. Let us seek to find common ground through constructive engagement. Through the G20, let us set the coordinates of a new course for human progress, one that is founded on solidarity, equality and sustainability," Ramaphosa stated, launching the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Johannesburg.

The upcoming G20 leaders summit, to be held in Africa in November for the first time, emphasizes the continent's rising significance in global economic, political, and environmental discussions, the top official noted.

"The summit's location underscores the need for African voices to be heard on critical global issues, like sustainable development, the digital economy, and the shift toward green energy. It is a great opportunity to promote greater collaboration between African nations and the rest of the world," he pointed out.

Additionally, while the core goals of the United Nations remain relevant, the world has evolved significantly, necessitating reforms in the UN Security Council, multilateral trading systems, and international financial architecture. These institutions must become more representative, agile, and responsive to today's realities, the South African president said.

"While the essential goals of the United Nations remain, the world has changed in fundamental ways. The UN must change accordingly. We continue to call for the UN Security Council, the multilateral trading system and the international financial architecture to be reformed to make them more representative, more agile and more responsive to today’s global realities," he noted.

Conflicts in regions like Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, the Sahel, and Gaza highlight the urgent need for diplomatic solutions and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, multilateralism, and international law, the South African president emphasized.

"As the G20, it is critical that the principles of the UN Charter, multilateralism and international law remain at the center of all our endeavors. The conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan, in the Sahel and in Gaza continue to exact a heavy human toll and heighten global insecurity," Ramaphosa stated.

Pretoria, as chair of the G20, is ready to consider expanding the group, but no country has yet applied to join, a South African official told a Russian media outlet on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.

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