South Africa’s G20 Sherpa Briefs UN Plenary on Key Priorities

By Agencies

An informal meeting of the United Nations General Assembly plenary was held today in New York to hear a briefing by South Africa’s G20 Sherpa, Zane Dangor, as the country assumes the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025.

The President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang, emphasized the crucial role of the G20 in advancing global development goals. He stated, “As we advance the implementation of the Pact of the Future, the Group of 20 will be critical to ensuring that inequities are addressed, more resources are provided, and better terms for development lending are negotiated.”

Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and UN Group of 20 Sherpa, underscored the G20’s role in climate action. “The G20, as the world's largest economies, holds a pivotal role in keeping the 1.5-degree temperature rise limit within reach,” he said. Li added that South Africa’s G20 Presidency presents an opportunity to strengthen collective actions for a successful COP30, particularly through partnerships like the Just Energy Transition Partnership.

South Africa has set the theme for its G20 Presidency as Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability. Addressing the UN plenary, Dangor elaborated on this vision: “Through solidarity, we seek to achieve a future that is people-centered, development-oriented, and inclusive.” He highlighted the interconnectedness of global challenges and stressed the importance of fairness and equality. “By advancing equality, we seek to ensure fair treatment, opportunities, and the advancement of all individuals, peoples, and nations, irrespective of economic status, gender, race, geographic location, or any other characteristics,” he said.

On sustainability, Dangor reinforced South Africa’s commitment to policies that balance present needs with future generations. “We will be working to strengthen disaster resilience and responses. We are also focusing on means to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries,” he stated. He further outlined plans to assess the high cost of capital for African and developing nations, a significant barrier to their growth. “The aim is to develop a comprehensive strategy to assess why some countries face disproportionately high capital costs that hinder their development potential.”

Dangor also highlighted South Africa’s focus on financing just energy transitions and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive and sustainable growth. Additionally, he welcomed the African Union’s recent inclusion in the G20, calling it an “important opportunity to amplify Africa’s voice in global economic governance.” He stressed that Africa’s development priorities and the broader concerns of the Global South must be firmly embedded in the G20 agenda.

The G20 is an intergovernmental economic forum comprising 19 countries and two regional unions—the European Union and, as of 2023, the African Union. Collectively, it represents 85 percent of the global economy, 75 percent of world trade, and 67 percent of the global population. With South Africa at the helm, expectations are high for a G20 term that prioritizes inclusivity, sustainability, and equitable development for all.