Global South Urges Climate Justice And Debt Reform At South Africa’s G20 Meeting

Developing nations at the G20 Summit in South Africa used the platform to intensify calls for stronger climate action and meaningful debt relief, while also showcasing themselves as emerging economic partners in critical sectors such as mining, technology, and artificial intelligence. South Africa, which is handing over the rotating G20 presidency to the United States, was widely praised for driving an agenda centred on inclusion and the needs of poorer nations.

The summit, held in Johannesburg, saw participation from G20 members, the African Union, the European Union, and several invited developing countries, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Jamaica, and Malaysia. The United States boycotted the meeting, citing President Donald Trump's allegations that South Africa is violently persecuting its Afrikaner white minority.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasised that developing nations were at the summit not to express despair but to highlight "possibilities and shared responsibilities." He insisted that debt relief must be channelled into investments that directly benefit people, noting that Ethiopia has learned that "inclusivity is not charity, it is efficiency."

Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah urged global financial institutions to offer fairer terms to developing nations. She pointed out that Namibia had recently repaid its USD 750 million bond on schedule, yet continues to be labelled high-risk by major decision-makers.

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Michael Holness spoke of the devastating impact of climate-driven disasters, referencing Hurricane Melissa's destruction and warning that a single external shock can reverse years of national progress.

World Trade Organisation Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala encouraged African leaders to rethink their trade strategies, stressing that as long as 60 per cent of exports remain raw materials, structural change will be limited. She highlighted the potential of developing regional value chains to move from exporting raw materials to producing finished goods.

Nabil Ahmed of Oxfam noted that inequality had, for the first time, become a central pillar of a G20 agenda. He said the world acknowledges the climate emergency and must now equally recognise the "inequality emergency." He added that South Africa, as the first African host of a G20 meeting, successfully prioritised the interests of African and broader Global South nations.