The G20 Summit Kicks Off in South Africa, Without Trump

The G20 summit is opening in South Africa without Donald Trump.

Ukraine and climate change are expected to be significant topics at the summit of major economies opening Saturday in Johannesburg, in Trump's absence. The U.S. President is boycotting the summit, which is being held in Africa for the first time, but his plan to end the war in Ukraine has already become a central topic of discussion in South Africa.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that European leaders present in Johannesburg will meet on Saturday to discuss this matter alongside the G20.

The afternoon discussions on climate change will also be closely monitored, especially as the negotiations at COP30 in Brazil appear to be at a standstill. On Friday, the final day of the official meetings in Belém, Amazon, discussions stalled over a possible roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels, and the EU did not rule out the possibility that COP30 could end without any agreement.

What results can be expected?

The G20 comprises 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union, representing 85% of the global GDP and about two-thirds of the world's population.

The Johannesburg summit is symbolically important: it is the first time it has been held in Africa and signifies the end of a cycle of G20 presidencies by countries from the 'Global South,' following Indonesia (2022), India (2023), and Brazil (2024).

However, the South African government has been targeted by Donald Trump since his return to the White House.

For this year's G20 presidency, Pretoria has prioritized the establishment of an international panel on economic inequalities, similar to the IPCC for climate issues.

Debt relief, transition minerals abundant in the continent, and artificial intelligence are also on the summit's agenda, which is set to continue until Sunday.

Will South African President Cyril Ramaphosa succeed in achieving a joint declaration from the attending leaders, and with what ambitions? "We hope to adopt the leaders' declaration, which will set a new and sustainable agenda for the world, especially the G20," he reaffirmed on Friday.

The United States opposed the release of a final G20 communiqué, citing their absence from a summit whose "priorities go against" Washington's political views.

However, a draft declaration has been finalized and will be presented to the leaders, according to diplomatic and South African government sources.

The usual title of the document - "G20 Leaders' Declaration" - has been modified, as these two sources confirmed, without disclosing its content.

Multilateralism

Throughout their presidency, the South Africans have positioned themselves as strong advocates of multilateralism, of which the G20 is one of the instruments.

"Multilateralism is our best, perhaps our only defense against upheavals, violence, and chaos. And South Africa has put multilateralism into practice," emphasized European Council President Antonio Costa from Johannesburg.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, continues his aggressive protectionist offensive and has withdrawn the United States from several international institutions in recent months. He has notably initiated the second U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and did not send any official delegation to COP30 in Brazil.

Nonetheless, the United States is set to take over the rotating G20 presidency after South Africa. The Trump administration has announced its intention to focus the summit on economic cooperation issues.

AFP