With South Africa having officially commenced its Group of 20 (G20) Presidency, Cabinet said the first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Johannesburg last week, was a success.
“The first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was an opportunity for the G20 Foreign Ministers to reflect on the global geopolitical challenges and discuss ways in which the G20 could contribute to finding solutions to these,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Thursday.
South Africa is hosting the G20 Presidency under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.”
Briefing reporters at a post-Cabinet media briefing in Cape Town, the Minister stated that the Foreign Ministers’ meeting also endorsed South Africa’s strategy for addressing geopolitical issues, as well as its priorities and key deliverables for the G20 Presidency.
READ | Foreign Ministers’ Meeting backs SA’s G20 Presidency priorities
In addition, it reaffirmed the G20’s role as the leading forum for international economic cooperation.
Ntshavheni’s remarks which follow yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, come as the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting is currently taking place in Cape Town.
SAnews reported on Wednesday that the President and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Børge Brende, voiced his support for South Africa’s G20 Presidency, which occurs amid a fragmented geopolitical landscape.
“In such a polarised, fragmented world as a backdrop of this G20 leadership, I think South Africa is especially well positioned to handle this very complicated geopolitical situation,” Brende said.
Brende who was addressing the Business 20 (B20) event said South Africa has a vast experience of handling competition.
READ | SA positioned to navigate challenging geopolitical situation – WEF President
He said the “challenging geopolitical situation” is front of mind for everyone, making the global voice of business more important than ever.
Working groups
Meanwhile, South Africa also successfully hosted the first meetings of the Working Groups, most of which were held virtually.
These groups include the Education Working Group, Women Empowerment Working Group, Digital Economy Working Group, Employment Working Group, and Culture Working Group.
The Minister announced that the following G20 Working Groups and Task Force Meetings will be held from today until the end of March 2025, most of which will be virtual:
• First Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting: 27-28 February 2025
• First Agriculture Working Group Meeting: 3-4 March 2025
• First Anti-corruption Working Group Meeting: 3-5 March 2025 in Cape Town
• First Tourism Working Group Meeting: 5 March 2025
• First Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Meeting: 5 March 2025
• First Task Force Meeting on Food Security: 5 March 2025
• First Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting: 18-20 March 2025
• First Task Force Meeting: Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment, and Reduce Inequality: 17 March 2025
• Second Health Working Group: 26-28 March 2025 in Durban
• First Climate and Environment Sustainability Working Group Meeting: 25-28 March 2025
Information on South Africa’s hosting of various G20 meetings and their outcomes can be accessed at www.g20.org or www.g20.org.za . – SAnews.gov.za
