South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday that when his country assumes the presidency of the G20 later this year, it will prioritise the needs and aspirations of Africa and the Global South. Ramaphosa outlined this vision in his weekly newsletter, expressing his commitment to ensuring that Africa’s voice is heard on the global stage.
‘As a signatory to the Pact for the Future, we are dedicated to making people-driven, sustainable development a reality,’ Ramaphosa said. The Pact for the Future commits member states to strengthening multilateral action towards a new agenda for global peace.
Reflecting on South Africa’s position at the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ramaphosa emphasised that sustainable development could only be achieved if driven by inclusive, responsive, and agile multilateral institutions. He called for the fundamental reform of bodies like the United Nations and financial institutions such as the IMF.
Ramaphosa highlighted the inadequacies of the current international financial system, using the Covid-19 pandemic as a case in point. He explained how low-income countries struggled to receive financial and other forms of assistance from multilateral institutions during the pandemic, which exposed “serious shortcomings of the international financial architecture.”
The South African president added that the bureaucratic nature of lending requirements meant many poorer nations were left without help when they needed it most. He also drew attention to the struggles faced by developing economies in securing adequate funds to tackle climate change and its impacts, noting that northern hemisphere countries have largely failed to meet their commitments made during the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.
‘Developing countries are still finding it difficult to access funds at the required scale to address climate change,’ Ramaphosa said. He criticised wealthier nations for not fulfilling their promises, leaving vulnerable countries in the Global South to bear the burden of climate-related costs.
Ramaphosa further pointed out that many African and Global South nations are grappling with high debt servicing costs, which divert crucial funds away from essential development initiatives. He called for reforms to the UN Security Council, arguing that the current system, which places global security in the hands of a few major powers, is ‘unjust, unfair, and unsustainable.’
‘At a time when threats to international peace and security are many and complex, we can no longer place the world’s security in the hands of a few major powers when all countries are affected,’ Ramaphosa said.
He urged that the UN Security Council be more representative of the UN’s diverse membership, ensuring that the approach to world peace is equitable and inclusive.
As South Africa takes on the G20 presidency, Ramaphosa’s message is clear: Africa and the Global South deserve a central role in shaping global policy, ensuring that development, peace, and climate resilience are addressed through fair and inclusive international cooperation.
