News24 | G20 Leaders declaration adopted by ‘unanimous’ consensus – Ramaphosa

• South Africa’s G20 presidency has achieved consensus for a summit declaration to be adopted unanimously during the Johannesburg meeting.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa stressed G20 unity, Global South priorities, and reforms for global stability.
• The focus included disaster resilience, debt sustainability, green finance, and harnessing critical minerals.

The G20, under South Africa’s presidency, has reached a consensus on adopting a summit declaration, though the details remain under wraps until it is published.

At the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the agreement after loud applause from delegates, despite an attempt by International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola to prevent the announcement during a live broadcast.

Ramaphosa announced that a consensus had “emerged”, as the sound to the G20 plenary was cut.

After delivering his opening remarks, and in what appeared to be a slip-up, Ramaphosa proceeded with the programme, informing his counterparts that one of the tasks they should undertake at the beginning was to execute their immediate one, “which is, by overwhelming consensus, to adopt our declaration”.

Before announcing that consensus on the declaration had been reached, Ramaphosa quoted the Roman writer Gaius Plinius Secundus, commonly known as Pliny the Elder, who is credited with the Latin phrase: “Ex Africa semper aliquid novi (Out of Africa there is always something new).”

“With that, we would like, therefore, with the consensus that has emerged through the work that has been done over the whole year, and the 130 meetings [that] have been held, where each sector has been able to reach agreement, we would like to therefore put the proposed declaration, as the G20 South Africa Summit, Leaders declaration, to put it forward for your adoption,” he added.

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Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that the declaration had been adopted, by show of hands.

He said:

Opening the summit, Ramaphosa told world leaders that the G20 Leaders’ Summit had the responsibility not to allow anything to diminish the “value, stature, and the impact” of the first African G20 presidency.

“This G20 leader summit has a responsibility not to allow the integrity and the credibility of the G20 to be weakened. In fact, from this summit, we should have a sense that the G20 has been strengthened,” he said.

Although Ramaphosa did not mention the United States, which has been marked absent from the meeting, the strong remarks were seemingly a subtle jab aimed at President Donald Trump’s administration’s decision to boycott the meeting.

Welcoming dignitaries – including French President Emmanuel Macron, India’s Narendra Modi, UK’s Keir Starmer, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres – Ramaphosa said the leaders had gathered to affirm the value of partnership and cooperation in order to finding common solutions to shared problems.

The president added that South Africa was “deeply aware of the profound responsibility that membership of the community of nations” had placed upon it.

South Africa also understood the responsibility of being entrusted with the G20 presidency.

“We have sought at all times to preserve the integrity and the stature of the G20, a premier forum of international economic cooperation.”

On South Africa’s Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability theme, Ramaphosa said: “It is essential that we break down divisions of economic status, of gender, of race and geography.”

He said South Africa had sought to ensure that the development priorities of the Global South and the African continent found expression on the agenda of the G20.

“This is important, not only for the people of Africa and the Global South. It is vital for global stability and security, alleviating resource pressures, managing population movements, and reducing the risk of conflict,” Ramaphosa added.

“We seek stability because it attracts investment, it improves planning, and reduces the risk of global economic shocks.”

The president said that countries should continue with the reform of the international financial architecture, ensuring that institutions are strengthened, are more inclusive, and equipped to meet the challenges both of the present and the future.

During its presidency, Ramaphosa said South Africa had identified four high-level priorities, including action to strengthen disaster resilience and response.

“We have agreed that it is essential for the global community, international finance institutions, development banks, and the private sector to scale up post-disaster construction.

“Secondly, we agreed that we must take action to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries. The G20 needs to renew its efforts to advance debt sustainability, while at the same time, laying emphasis on those countries in the global south that are suffering from debt repayments.”

Thirdly, he said there should be mobilisation of finance for a just energy transition.

“Increasing the quality and quantity of climate finance flows to developing economy countries. Fourthly, we emphasised the importance of harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development through the beneficiation of the minerals.”

Issues of inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, inequality, unemployment, security, and artificial intelligence had also been added to the agenda.