Johannesburg [South Africa], November 24: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the declaration from this weekend's Group of 20 (G20) summit reflects a "renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation" as the rotating presidency moves to the United States under the cloud of another diplomatic row.
Ramaphosa, host of the Johannesburg summit, pushed through the declaration addressing global challenges like the climate crisis despite objections from the US, which boycotted the event. Addressing the summit's closing ceremony on Sunday, the president said the declaration showed world leaders' "shared goals outweigh our differences". He stressed that the G20 summit declaration is a commitment to concrete actions to improve people's lives all over the world.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the G20 summit and COP30 climate summit in Brazil showed multilateralism was very much alive.
Speaking in Johannesburg, Lula added that he was happy with the success of both events and now the decisions made at the G20 summit need to be put into action. The summit, however, ended with another diplomatic spat involving the US after the host country refused to formally hand over the rotating presidency of the bloc to what it described as a junior US official, which it deemed an insult to its presidency.
"The United States is a member of the G20, and if they want to be represented, they can still send anyone at the right level," South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said.
"It is the leaders summit. The right level is the head of state, a special envoy appointed by the president of that country or it could also be a minister." The US will be G20 president for 2026 and says it will host its summit at President Donald Trump's golf club in Doral, Florida.
Trump boycotted the summit of leaders from rich and emerging economies on Saturday and Sunday because of allegations that the host country's Black majority government persecutes its white minority - allegations that have been widely debunked.
The diplomatic rift between the US and South Africa deepened this week when Ramaphosa said the US had changed its mind and wanted to participate in the summit at the last minute.
Source: Qatar Tribune
