Ramaphosa Lauds African Union’s G20 Membership, Points to Africa’s Balancing Act Between Climate Promises, Economic Growth

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday said he is delighted to see the African Union become a permanent member of the Group of 20 (G2o) during the inaugural session of the summit in New Delhi.

Ramaphosa also called for an enhanced and expanded Global Partnership for Sustainable Development backed by the suggestions outlined in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development (AAAA).

The AAAA, announced in 2015 in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, is a new global framework for financing sustainable development.It’s agenda is to align all financing flows and policies with the vision outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the head of the African Union, who is also the President of the Union of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, to take his seat among the other permanent members of the G20.

“With everyone’s approval, I request the African Union head to take his seat as a permanent G20 member,” he added, banging a ceremonial gavel.

Ramaphosa highlighted that the transition to low-carbon, climate resilient and sustainable societies can be achieved as the world goes through a process of reconstruction in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The South African President, however, highlighted that African nations are having to meet their climate commitments while navigating through the significant developmental challenges like poverty, inequality and unemployment.

Ramaphosa also pointed out that developing economies across the world are bearing the brunt of climate change even though they are not responsible for it.

“As African and other developing economy countries, we face the task of meeting our climate commitments in the midst of significant developmental challenges like poverty, inequality and unemployment,” Ramaphosa said.

“Climate change, environmental degradation, unsustainable consumption and production and resource scarcity are challenges that can only be addressed collectively and with a great deal of solidarity,” the South African President said in a post on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.

The AAAA also calls for mobilising domestic resources and using it as a main source to finance sustainable development. The declaration said that these resources will build functioning institutions to drive sustainable development, improve government accountability to communities and decrease dependence on foreign support.