South Africa assumes the G20 Presidency from Brazil, preparing to lead discussions on global economic and development issues. Next summit set for South Africa.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva concluded the Group of 20 summit on Tuesday, passing the presidency to South Africa.
Lula da Silva stated, “Once South Africa’s presidency concludes, every G20 nation will have led the group at least once. This presents an opportune moment to assess our contributions thus far and consider how we should proceed in the future.”
On Tuesday, leaders from the world’s 20 major economies reconvened with a more relaxed agenda following their joint declaration issued the previous evening.
The document, advocating for a worldwide agreement to fight hunger, increased aid for Gaza, and an end to the war in Ukraine, was rich in generalities but lacking in specifics.
The group members endorsed the joint statement, although it did not achieve full unanimity. It also advocated for a future global tax on billionaires and proposed reforms to eventually expand the U.N. Security Council beyond its five permanent members.
At the outset of the three-day meeting slated to conclude on Wednesday, experts were skeptical about Lula da Silva’s ability to persuade the gathered leaders to reach any kind of agreement. The gathering was fraught with uncertainty due to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration and heightened global tensions arising from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Argentina raised concerns about certain language in the initial drafts and was the only country that did not fully endorse the document.
