The G20 summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, concluded with a joint declaration emphasizing multilateral cooperation despite the United States’ boycott under President Donald Trump, who abstained due to discredited claims about South Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted that shared goals across member countries outweighed their differences, stressing the importance of unity and solidarity.
The summit marked the first G20 meeting on African soil and focused heavily on addressing climate change mitigation, economic inequality, and development issues affecting Africa and the Global South.
Though the US boycott meant President Trump did not attend and a ceremonial handover of the G20 presidency was delayed, leaders from other major economies reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva underlined that multilateralism remains stronger than ever, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz labeled the US abstention a poor decision. The summit notably highlighted peace efforts in Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with Sudan’s conflict gaining significant visibility in a G20 context for the first time.
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