As Africa is set to host its first-ever G20 Summit in 2025, leaders from the continent and beyond are set to confront the pressing need for economic reforms grounded in human rights. The historic event could signal a powerful shift toward global policies that prioritize social justice and sustainability.
By: Ohene Ampofo-Anti, CESR Program Associate
The G20 Summit will take place on African soil for the first time next year, offering an unprecedented platform to push for rights-based reforms in the global economic system. With the themes of solidarity, equality, and sustainability at the forefront, this summit has the potential to address longstanding inequities and to champion transformative policies that benefit communities worldwide.
While this was only the first meeting of its kind so far, it was already evident by the end of the two days that SA’s G20 Presidency has promise for key rights-based reforms, including increasing momentum on the UN Tax Convention and financing for development, addressing gaps in debt governance as broader reforms to the international financial architecture that are responsive to global South needs.
Priorities of SA G20 Presidency
Civil society representatives from Brazil’s C20 engagement group talked about how the Brazilian government prioritized civil society participation, convened an expert working group on wealth taxes, and established a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. A representative from the South African Ministry of International Relations outlined the government’s vision for its presidency, heralding it as a “People’s G20” rooted in a bottom-up approach that is “inclusive, participatory, and consultative” in the spirit of African values of ubuntu and solidarity. Thematically, the government intends to advance seven key priorities, including:
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Securing financing for development and addressing debt vulnerability;
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Reform of the International Financial Architecture, especially the Multilateral Development Banks; and
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Combating climate change while addressing issues of predatory mining.
When asked whether the South African government intends to take forward the work of the Brazilian Presidency on wealth taxes, there was an emphatic yes without providing further details. In conclusion, the representative said South Africa would build upon Brazil’s commitment to civil society participation, remarking that: “Participatory democracy is part of the DNA of South Africa”.
People, power, and politics
Speaking at a Day One of the Conference session, Jason Braganza from AFRODAD emphasized the importance of the three P’s or “People, Power, and Politics”. This later became a golden thread for civil society’s advocacy strategy.
On Power and Politics, there was much discussion about how SA’s presidency will be the last global South presidency in a four-year cycle, with the next presidency being assumed by the USA in 2026. The group was divided into two breakout groups: an insider track for those looking to influence the G20 process from within and an outsider track for those wishing to influence things from outside G20 processes. From those in the insider track, there was strategizing and thinking on:
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How to leverage the presence of the African Union now being a member of the G20 and the unique opportunity of having a G20 on African soil by spelling out a pan-African agenda and an African approach to global economic governance that advances global South interests.
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“Power will not be given; it has to be fought for”.
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The importance of working with the G20 but also not legitimizing it. Some spoke of the importance of G20 politics feeding into other international efforts at progressive reforms and acting as a catalyst for UN-led reforms that are more democratic and inclusive.
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Building on Brazil’s groundbreaking working on “fair, inclusive and anti-racist economies” by taking this further with an explicit intersectional approach.
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Proposing an expert working group to the SA government, perhaps on debt and illicit financial flows.
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Pushing for a “New Sovereign Southern Debt Pact” as the leading civil society ask – tackling austerity, illicit financial flows, taxing the rich, and addressing debt in an integrated fashion.
On People, those from the breakout groups discussing outsider tactics emphasized the importance of broad-based mobilization, making messages on key demands accessible, such as “bread, energy, and water,” and making protest action impactful and memorable.
Potential challenges ahead
Brazilian C20 comrades pointed out how the Brazilian government is progressive internationally but conservative domestically. This sentiment made sense to civil society in SA as well, where it was pointed out that on the international stage, South Africa might galvanize support for Palestine or take other types of bold action but fail to act that way at home. This led to a debate about which flavor of South African diplomacy can be expected at the G20. After historic elections in May earlier this year, which led to the formation of a coalition government between the ANC and several other opposition parties (termed a Government of National Unity, which includes some parties that are known to have a bias for neoliberal approaches, the jury is out on how progressive the agenda the South African govt will be able to take next year. Some also remarked rhetorically about the ability of ANC and the Government of National Unity to act as a pan-African organization in this instance.
Next steps
This 2-day workshop is only the beginning of this process with SA to formally take the reins of the G20 from December 1. Future civil society meetings will need to determine the following:
1. The leadership of the C20 in SA. In Brazil, this was a more straightforward question because Abong is the national CSO network. There is, however, no equivalent in South Africa. It was mentioned that the process of determining a leader must be broad-based, democratic, and inclusive.
2. A common CSO agenda and vision for SA’s G20: while the SA government has determined its priorities, civil society will need to do the same, but there was already a lot of appetite for rights-based reforms CESR and allies have been pushing on, particularly a UN Tax Convention and addressing illicit financial flows, combatting austerity, reforms to debt governance and financing for development.
According to a survey done at the beginning of the workshop on Day One and then repeated by the end of Day Two, the workshop had fulfilled its primary aim of raising awareness among South African civil society of the relevance of the G20 to local issues of economic justice while setting the stage for a strong and united civil society pushing for rights-based reforms. CESR will work alongside its allies and partners to keep up the momentum.