South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on world leaders to ensure that decisions taken at the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit are grounded in the lived experiences of people, particularly those from developing countries.
Speaking at the G20 Social Summit in Johannesburg on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the gathering must give “practical meaning to global solidarity” and serve as a compass for inclusive and sustainable development.
Drawing historical parallels with the 1955 Bandung Conference and South Africa’s Freedom Charter, Ramaphosa underscored the importance of people-centred global cooperation.
“For the decisions taken at the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit to stand tall, to grow, (and) to have credibility and legitimacy, they have to be nourished by strong roots.”
“These roots are our civil society and community organisations, women’s organisations, youth formations, academia and think-tanks, business, labour and other grassroots formations.”
The Social Summit, inaugurated by Brazil in 2024 and now hosted for the second time, brings together representatives from Women20, Youth20, Business20, Civil20, Labour20, Parliament20 and other platforms.
It aims to shape the G20 agenda through broad consultation and inclusive dialogue.
Delegates have called for greater investment in climate resilience, global water infrastructure and just transitions to low-carbon economies.
The summit also prioritised eliminating child poverty and hunger, expanding youth opportunities and advancing gender equality.
Ramaphosa stressed that sustainable societies must recognise and compensate women’s economic contributions and confront gender-based violence.
South Africa’s G20 Presidency, which began in December 2024, has focused on elevating the interests of developing economies, reforming global financial systems and promoting equitable development.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit, set to take place in Johannesburg on 22-23 November, will be the first held on African soil.
Ramaphosa urged global leaders to reject exclusionary norms.
“For the G20 to fully live up to its mission of promoting international financial stability and deepening global economic cooperation there should be no unwritten rules about those who feast and those who must settle for scraps,” he said.
“It cannot be that a country’s geographical location or income or army determines who has a voice and who is spoken down to.”
The comments come amid rising geopolitical headwinds that have seen the Trump administration pushing for unilateralism under the guise of “Making America Great Again”.
JN/APA