The Group of 20 nations concluded its inaugural summit on the African continent by endorsing a substantive declaration on climate finance, debt relief, and global trade that highlighted a hardening resolve among members to advance global priorities in the absence of the U.S. delegation.
The two-day G20 leaders summit, which ended on Sunday and was held under the South African presidency's theme of "Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” was instantly overshadowed by the diplomatic abstention of the U.S., whose government boycotted the talks citing unsubstantiated claims that South Africa was persecuting its white Afrikaner minority.
In his closing remarks, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa offered a final metaphor. "South Africa has used this presidency to place the priorities of Africa and the Global South firmly at the heart of the G20 agenda," he said. "We have laid the foundation of solidarity; now we must build the walls of justice and the roof of prosperity."
South Africa's Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola signaled the host nation’s intent ahead of the G20 Johannesburg summit. "The G20 should send a clear message that the world can move on with or without the U.S.," he said. "We will mark them absent and continue with the business."
That's what happened. In a conspicuous break from G20 tradition, the leaders’ declaration was adopted on the opening day, a procedural move meant to safeguard the consensus document against external pressures.
The communiqué committed the bloc to tripling renewable energy capacity globally and working towards U.N. Security Council reform, but it was not without dissent. Though its adoption was officially unanimous among those present, the declaration failed to gain Argentina's endorsement due to reservations about a section addressing the "full complexity" of conflict in the Middle East.
The political tensions were laid bare at the summit's close. A ceremonial transfer of the G20 gavel, customary for passing the presidency to the next host, the U.S., was canceled after South Africa rejected a proposal for Ramaphosa to hand the gavel to a junior embassy official, deeming it a breach of protocol.
Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back after Ramaphosa told reporters in Johannesburg that the Trump administration had indicated at the "11th hour" it was changing its mind about boycotting the leaders summit and might want to participate.
"I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the president of the United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the president or his team," Leavitt told a White House press briefing.
Despite U.S., multilateralism 'more alive than ever'
Unlike the U.S., other G20 members reinforced their alliances. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the U.S. decision to abstain "not a good decision," noting the proceedings suggested the "world is currently undergoing a realignment and that new connections are being formed."
Despite the U.S. push for unilateralism, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said multilateralism was "more alive than ever." The E.U. notably sought to deepen its ties with South Africa, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly declaring the bloc a partner that "plays by the rules" and "listens to its partners."
The leaders’ declaration formalized commitments designed to address the needs of developing nations, including supporting the creation of a 25th chair at the International Monetary Fund's Executive Board to enhance Africa's voice and endorsing a platform to connect 300 million people to electricity in Africa by 2030.
The communiqué further committed to strengthening a framework for sovereign debt treatment and embraced the African Union as a full member of the G20.
South Africa's trade minister, Parks Tau, detailed the commercial gravity of the discussions, which covered global trade, World Trade Organization reform, industrialization, and financing for development.
Tau also confirmed that South Africa would continue to lobby the U.S. Congress for the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, an issue complicated by recent U.S. government shutdowns.
In a push for global resilience, South Africa introduced voluntary principles for investing in disaster risk reduction and encouraged international collaboration to strengthen preparedness.
While the declaration introduced social measures for reducing youth unemployment and increasing gender parity, and committed to working for peace in Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, and Palestine, Tau stressed the outcomes are not immediate.
He affirmed that members would hold each other accountable for the commitments made, tracking the impact of the decisions on the multilateral system and positions presented at the United Nations, even as the U.S., which will host the 2026 summit at the Trump National Doral Miami golf resort, prepares to assume the presidency next month.
