South Africa concludes "historic" G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting
South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola hailed the event as "historic" when briefing the media after the meeting, which started on Thursday and ended Friday in Johannesburg.
"The first G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting under South Africa's presidency was historic as it was the first G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the African continent," Lamola said, noting that the "very productive" meeting had a high-level strategic discussion on the global geopolitical environment and its impact on their work.
He noted that the meeting showed support for South Africa's G20 presidency theme of "Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability" and its priorities and high-level deliverables. According to him, the priorities include strengthening disaster resilience, ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries, mobilizing finance for a just energy transition, and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and development.
"The South African presidency took note of the fruitful discussions and inputs on the various priorities and high-level deliverables which will enrich our work as we elaborate in-depth on these in the various streams of work during 2025," said Lamola. "We can assure you that all the views expressed will be considered as we progress with our work during this year. We look forward to the active participation and contributions of all your delegations."
He said the G20 raised concern on the slow progress being made in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and called for acceleration of speed in achieving that. The G20 foreign ministers also reaffirmed the G20's collective responsibility to fostering sustainable, resilient and inclusive global growth, as a critical element of the broader multilateral system, said Lamola.
"Concerning the ongoing conflicts and wars in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, the meeting reiterated that all states must act in a manner consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," the minister said.
Lamola further noted that the G20 committed to support peace efforts in Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other major conflicts around the globe.
The meeting underscored the need to reform the international system of global governance, including the international financial architecture, the multilateral trading system, and the multilateral development banks, he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Muscat Daily
6 days ago
- Muscat Daily
Oman engages with Africa, EU, G77 on environment
Muscat – Oman took part in the 20th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) held in Nairobi from July 14 to 18. The delegation was led by Dr Abdullah bin Ali al Amri, Chairman of Environment Authority and President of the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). Oman's participation was part of the preparatory plan as UNEA-7 president focusing on partnership with all stakeholders to ensure a successful session. This edition of AMCEN also marked the 40th anniversary of the conference, which was founded in 1985 and has contributed to progress in sustainable development, biodiversity protection, climate action and pollution control. In his address, Amri commended AMCEN and the African Union for their long-standing contributions to joint environmental action across the continent. He traced the conference's journey since its inception in Cairo and acknowledged its role in shaping a unified African environmental agenda and strengthening the continent's voice in global negotiations. He underlined the collaboration between AMCEN and UNEA as a model for regional-global partnerships, noting its significance in advancing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Africa's Agenda 2063. Amri also outlined a vision to strengthen AMCEN's role through science-based policymaking, climate-sensitive financing, the use of digital and AI tools for environmental monitoring, and integrated approaches linking energy, minerals and the environment. He emphasised the need for inclusive and just green transitions in future development. On the sidelines of the conference, Amri held a series of meetings with key stakeholders. He met representatives of the Group of 77 and China to exchange views on the draft Ministerial Declaration and agenda topics. Discussions on similar themes were also held with EU representatives, including the European Commissioner for Environment and Circular Economy. Amri also met the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation in Nairobi, with talks focusing on UNEA-7 preparations. He held a separate meeting with Dr Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, to explore areas of collaboration with the Convention Secretariat. Additionally, Amri held consultations with several African environment ministers, reviewing the state of preparations for UNEA-7 and gathering inputs on the draft Ministerial Declaration.
Observer
18-07-2025
- Observer
G20 nations back central bank independence
G20 nations said on Friday the independence of central banks was crucial to achieving price stability in the face of geopolitical and trade tensions. "Central banks are strongly committed to ensuring price stability, consistent with their respective mandates and will continue to adjust their policies in a data-dependent manner", the grouping said in a joint declaration after finance ministers' meeting in South Africa, which holds the rotating presidency of the bloc. The G20, which emerged as a forum for cooperation to combat the 2008 global financial crisis, failed to reach a joint stance when finance ministers and central bankers met in February, to the dismay of hosts South Africa. An agreement now in the coastal city of Durban would be considered an achievement even though G20 communiques are non-binding and the precise wording is unclear. "I don't think it's a secret. It hasn't been issued yet, but there's going to be a communique", Raymond Gilpin, chief of strategy, analysis and research at the United Nations Development Programme Africa, said on Friday. Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he was cautiously optimistic the meeting would result in a final communique. An official of another G20 country, who requested not to be identified, expressed similar optimism. "We have to see the final text, but I think it's important that we reached a communique and common language. That's an improvement from the last G20", Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen said. South Africa, under its presidency's motto "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability", has aimed to promote an African agenda, with topics including the high cost of capital and funding for climate change action. Delegates at the meeting sought to agree lines on global economic challenges, including the uncertainty created by trade tensions, as well as wording on climate finance. Some officials said that the language in the agreement could stress the benefits of free trade and not label tariffs as bad and reference extreme weather events to avoid terms like climate change. Two delegates said the challenge was establishing what language Washington would accept, a task made harder by the absence of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from the two-day meeting. Bessent skipped February's Cape Town gathering as well, which several officials from China, Japan and Canada also did not attend, even though Washington is due to assume the G20 rotating presidency in December. Bessent's absence was not ideal, but the US had been engaging in discussions on trade, the global economy and climate language, said a G20 delegate, who asked not to be named. Finance ministers from Brazil, China, India, France and Russia also missed the durban meeting, though South Africa's Central Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said what mattered was that all G20 countries were represented. The meeting is taking place under the shadow of Trump's tariff policies which have torn up the global trade rule book and clouded the economic outlook. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said he made clear to his counterparts from the Group of Seven major economies on Friday that the global trade conflict must be ended quickly. The G7 discussions were on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. "What I take home from this is that I hear a lot of countries advocating for free trade and the importance of free trade. It's under pressure right now. It's not good for the world", the Dutch finance minister said. — Reuters
Times of Oman
15-07-2025
- Times of Oman
UN report shows insufficient progress on SDGs
United Nations: With only five years to go, merely 35 percent of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track, while nearly half are stalling and 18 percent have regressed, according to a UN report released on Monday. In the past decade since the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted, notable global achievements have been made in health, education, energy and digital connectivity, said "The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025." New HIV infections have declined by nearly 40 percent since 2010. Malaria prevention has averted 2.2 billion cases and saved 12.7 million lives since 2000. Social protection now reaches over half the world's population, up significantly from a decade ago. Since 2015, 110 million more children and youth have entered school. Child marriage is in decline, with more girls staying in school and women gaining ground in parliaments around the world, the report said. In 2023, 92 percent of the world's population had access to electricity. Internet use has surged from 40 percent in 2015 to 68 percent in 2024. Conservation efforts have doubled protection of key ecosystems, contributing to global biodiversity resilience, the report said. However, the pace of change remains insufficient to meet the SDGs by 2030. More than 800 million people still live in extreme poverty. Billions still lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services. Climate change pushed 2024 to be the hottest year on record. Conflicts caused nearly 50,000 deaths in 2024. By the end of that year, over 120 million people were forcibly displaced. Low- and middle-income countries faced record-high debt servicing costs of $1.4 trillion in 2023, according to the report. The document called for action across six priority areas -- food systems, energy access, digital transformation, education, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity action. "We are in a global development emergency -- an emergency measured in the over 800 million people still living in extreme poverty, in intensifying climate impacts, and in relentless debt service, draining the resources that countries need to invest in their people," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the launch of the report. "Today's report shows that the Sustainable Development Goals are still within reach. But only if we act -- with urgency, unity, and unwavering resolve," he said. When introducing the report, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua called for "urgent multilateralism" to address the lack of progress in the SDGs. "The challenges we face are inherently global and interconnected. No country, regardless of its wealth or capacity, can address climate change, pandemic preparedness or inequality alone. The 2030 Agenda represents our collective recognition that our destinies are intertwined and that sustainable development is not a zero-sum game, but a shared endeavor that benefits all," said Li.
