India, Brazil and Indonesia had laid the foundation for the G20 Leaders’ Summit that ended on Sunday afternoon following two days of deliberations, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his closing address.
“We learnt a lot from what Indonesia, India and Brazil did. In many ways, what we see having unfolded here was based on the foundations that those three countries of the Global South put in place,” Ramaphosa said.
“The G20 South Africa Leaders’ Declaration is more than words. It is a commitment to concrete action that will improve the lives of people in every part of the world.
“Our agreement on a Declaration during this summit demonstrates the value of the G20 as a forum that can facilitate joint action on issues of shared concern not only for the leaders, but shared concern for the peoples of the world.
“More than that, it reaffirms our renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation and our recognition that our shared goals outweigh our differences,” the president said.
Thanking the G20 members for their attendance, Ramaphosa said their top of form commitment had been vital in reaffirming the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
“We have met this year in the face of significant challenges and demonstrated our ability to come together even in times of great difficulty to pursue a better world,” he said.
The president reaffirmed that the greatest opportunity for prosperity in the 21st century lies in Africa.
“We have sought to place Africa’s growth and development at the heart of the G20’s agenda. Harnessing that opportunity will require a strong partnership between Africa and the G20 and indeed between Africa and the rest of the world,” Ramaphosa said.
Reiterating elements of the Declaration, Ramaphosa said the G20 has called for an end to conflicts and wars around the globe and for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, to end poverty in all its forms, to reduce inequality within and among countries and to take urgent action to combat climate change.
“The G20 has pledged to extend support to low and middle income countries as they conf
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