This year’s G20 Summit is taking place in South Africa, marking the first time an African nation has hosted the summit.
The summit is taking place on 22 and 23 November under the theme ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’.
The agenda will focus on helping developing nations adapt to the climate crisis, transition to clean energy and cut excessive debt.
세계경제포럼, 2025년 11월 19일 게시
This year’s Group of 20 (G20) Summit is being held in South Africa – the first time an African nation has hosted – with a focus on helping developing economies adapt to the climate crisis, transition to clean energy and cut excessive debt.
South Africa has held the Presidency since 1 December 2024, operating under the theme of ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’. The Summit, held in Johannesburg on 22 and 23 November, is the culmination of almost a year of international meetings and negotiations to bridge the gap between the Global North and South.
“When South Africa assumed the G20 Chairship last year, the world was navigating a precarious geopolitical climate,” said Ronald O Lamola, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, in the run-up to the Summit. “Our response was clear and courageous: the world needs more Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability. These are not just words, they are the pillars of our Presidency, rooted deeply in the African philosophy of Ubuntu … ‘I am because we are’.”
What is the G20?
The G20 is a forum of the largest economies in the world that meets regularly to discuss the most pressing issues facing the global economy.
Together, it accounts for around 85% of world GDP, more than 75% of global trade and around two-thirds of the planet’s population.
Consisting of 19 countries and two regional bodies, the current members are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus the African Union and European Union.
The G20 started in 1999, following the Asian financial crisis, as a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors from the major developed and emerging economies to discuss global financial issues.
Amid the global financial crisis of 2007-2009, it grew into the Leaders’ Summit, a place where presidents and prime ministers could get together for two days to try to solve the world’s economic problems.
After the first meeting of G20 leaders in Washington DC, in 2008, the Summit was convened twice-yearly for a period, starting with London and Pittsburgh in 2009, and followed by Toronto and Seoul in 2010. Since 2011, the conferences have become annual fixtures.
What does the G20 discuss?
In the run-up to summits, senior officials known as “sherpas” thrash out the issues for discussion, with the aim of getting G20 members to reach agreement at the Summit itself. Like sherpas in the Himalayas, they help guide their leaders through often difficult terrain, and do the diplomatic legwork.
There are also meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors, trade representatives and anti-corruption working groups.
The Summit concludes with a Leaders’ Declaration, stating economies’ commitments to the agreements made. This year, the South African Presidency is anchoring discussions around these key areas:
- Inclusive and sustainable economic growth, leaving no one behind.
- Building economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden.
- Critical minerals; decent work; artificial intelligence.
Who is invited?
The G20 Presidency rotates between members and is picked from different regions each year. In 2024, the G20 host was Brazil. This year, it is South Africa’s turn, with a particular focus on the issue of debt repayments.
The heads of a number of international organizations also participate, including the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the World Bank.
In its September Chief Economists’ Outlook, the World Economic Forum reported that while the global economy has shown resilience, the outlook remains weak and risks are firmly skewed to the downside, amid intensifying trade disruption and rising policy uncertainty.
This year, the US will not be participating in the Summit, but the country is due to take over the G20 Presidency for the following year.
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Why the Summit matters
While the G7 is made up of rich countries, the G20 brings together leaders from both developed and emerging economies, representing a far broader range of views.
It has been credited with reaching important agreements such as the trillion-dollar pledge in 2009 to help struggling economies during the global financial crisis.
However, it has sometimes proved difficult for such a diverse group of countries to reach a consensus. “Guided by the spirit of Ubuntu,” this year’s host, South Africa, “views the diversity of the G20 nations as a strength rather than a source of division”. All eyes are now on Johannesburg as leaders there seek “collective solutions to pressing global challenges”.
