Cyril Ramaphosa’s message to the world

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged the Group of 20 nations to set aside their differences and focus on tackling the world’s most pressing challenges.   

“Geopolitical tensions and rising intolerance, conflicts and war, climate change, pandemics and energy and food insecurity do threaten an already-fragile global coexistence,” Ramaphosa said at the opening of a meeting of G-20 foreign ministers in Johannesburg on Thursday.

These challenges require inclusive responses “that should be well coordinated through various forums such as the G-20, yet there is a lack of consensus amongst major powers” on how to respond, he said. 

South Africa assumed the rotating presidency of the G-20 from Brazil in December — the first African nation to take the helm — and is due to host a summit of its leaders in Johannesburg in November before handing over the mantle to the US. 

Ramaphosa said his priorities will include fostering global solidarity and cooperation, encouraging an overhaul of global institutions, reducing the excessive debt burden of developing nations and stepping up the fight against global warming. 

“The climate crisis is no longer a threat — it is a catastrophic reality that all of us in the world must face,” he said. “We believe that it is important to mobilize finance for a just- energy transition.

G-20 leaders should secure agreement on increasing the quality and quantity of climate-finance flows to developing-economy countries.”

US President Donald Trump’s administration, which is prioritizing his America First agenda, has given Ramaphosa’s proposals short shrift so far.  

American Secretary of State Marco Rubio snubbed this week’s meeting in protest at what he said was an attempt by Pretoria to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, and tackle climate change.

Trump has meanwhile falsely accused the South African authorities of seizing private land, and halted most aid to the country.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has been in office for less than a month, will also skip a gathering of G-20 finance ministers in Cape Town next week as he focuses on domestic issues, a person familiar with the matter said.

The G-20 was formed in the wake of the Asian financial crisis to bring the world’s most advanced economies together with the biggest emerging markets.

It has also proved to be an influential forum for establishing and propagating norms across the global financial system. 

While the group’s cohesion has eroded in recent years as members split over how to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the forum has still served as an opportunity for leaders of the world’s top economies to gather on a regular basis.