(C) Daily Sabah

JOHANNESBURG – The Group of 20 (G20) Summit in South Africa, the first ever held on the African continent, adopted the "G20 South Africa Leaders' Declaration" on the opening day, November 22, an unusually swift move that defied convention and appeared to be a direct response to a boycott and opposition from the United States.

The customary practice has been to adopt the declaration on the final day, just before the closing ceremony. However, Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the South African Presidency, confirmed to reporters that the declaration was adopted by consensus at the start of the meeting. He explained that a consensus had been reached to make the declaration the first agenda item.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, upon opening the first session, stated, "There is overwhelming consensus and agreement. Another task we must perform at this initial stage is to adopt the declaration right now."

Defiance and Multilateralism Reaffirmed 

The 30-page, 122-paragraph document, later released by South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, reaffirmed the leaders' commitment to multilateralism. The text stated that the G20 "reconfirms our commitment to operate by consensus, based on the spirit of multilateralism, with all members participating in all events, including the Summit, on an equal footing, in accordance with our international obligations."

The declaration also publicly announced the future G20 presidencies, stating, "We commit to cooperate under the 2026 US Presidency and look forward to meeting again in the UK in 2027 and in the Republic of Korea in 2028."

Crucially, the declaration addressed issues the Donald Trump administration's US delegation reportedly opposed, including addressing unilateral trade practices inconsistent with WTO rules, affirming the severity of climate change and the need for adaptation, ambitious targets for renewable energy expansion, and the severe debt burden faced by impoverished nations.

The US had previously opposed the adoption of a consensus-based declaration, instead insisting that only a Chair's Statement reflecting the absence of US agreement would be acceptable, following its decision to boycott the summit over claims of South African persecution of Afrikaner whites. Ramaphosa, however, had vowed not to succumb to "intimidation."

Tensions Over Handover of Presidency
 

The atmosphere remained tense as the summit approached its closing on November 23. It is anticipated that the ceremony to hand over the G20 presidency to the incoming chair, the US, may not take place. The South African Presidency refused the US suggestion to have its Chargé d’Affaires attend the closing ceremony for the handover.

Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, confirmed that President Ramaphosa would not hand over the authority to the US Chargé d’Affaires. "The US is a G20 member and can still send a representative at an appropriate level," Lamola stated, suggesting the representative must be a head of state, a minister, or a special envoy appointed by the president, otherwise the handover could take place between equivalent representatives at government headquarters.

This summit has been notable for the unprecedented absence of the heads of state from the US, China, and Russia. China was represented by Premier Li Qiang, and Russia by a Deputy Chief of the Presidential Executive Office. Furthermore, the exclusion of the US from the handover means one member of the "Troika" (the past, present, and future G20 chairs) will have no formal representation, a first for the organization.

Meanwhile, leaders from the UK, France, and Germany met separately on the sidelines of the G20 to discuss their response to a US-proposed peace plan for Ukraine. They, along with several other European and Asian nations, issued a joint statement asserting that "borders should not be altered by force" and noted that the US plan was "a basis that requires additional work."

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung attended the opening ceremony, both sessions, and the gala dinner. He also held meetings with leaders of the MIKTA grouping (South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey, and Australia) and bilateral talks with the French and German leaders. President Lee is set to conclude his time in South Africa following the final session and a luncheon with the local Korean community before departing for the last stop of his tour, Turkey.