Theme: "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability"
A Landmark Summit for the Global South
📝 Executive Summary
The 2025 G20 Summit was a historic milestone, marking the first time the Group of Twenty has met on African soil. Hosting the event in Johannesburg, South Africa capped a four-year cycle of "Global South" leadership, focusing the global agenda heavily on debt relief, climate resilience, and industrialization.
Despite achieving consensus on the key "Johannesburg Declaration," the summit was defined by deep geopolitical fractures—most notably the boycott by the United States and Argentina—signaling a significant shift in the cohesion of the global multilateral order.
The Geopolitical Landscape
G20 Leader Attendance
The summit was marked by significant geopolitical fractures, including boycotts from the United States and Argentina, and absences from other key leaders.
Notable Attendees
- Cyril Ramaphosa (Host)
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil)
- Narendra Modi (India)
- Keir Starmer (United Kingdom)
- Friedrich Merz (Germany)
- Mark Carney (Canada)
- Li Qiang (China)
Notable Absences & Boycotts
- United States (Boycott)
- Argentina (Boycott)
- Xi Jinping (China)
- Vladimir Putin (Russia)
- Claudia Sheinbaum (Mexico)
A 4-Year "Global South" Leadership Cycle
South Africa's presidency capped a historic four-year cycle, placing the development needs of the Global South at the forefront of the G20 agenda.
Key Summit Outcomes & Declarations
Economic Resilience
A declaration emphasized urgent action on debt vulnerabilities for low- and middle-income countries. Leaders endorsed a new Ministerial Declaration on Debt Sustainability to streamline restructuring.
Climate & Just Transition
A major focus was placed on strengthening disaster resilience and response. The summit also launched a Voluntary Energy Security Toolkit to help nations manage the transition to renewables.
AI & Social Inclusion
Launched the Ubuntu Legacy Initiative to accelerate cross-border infrastructure. Leaders also discussed a "human-centric" approach to AI, with India to host the AI Impact Summit in 2026.
Focus: The Critical Minerals Framework
A new framework was established to ensure resource-rich countries benefit from value-add processing, not just raw material extraction. The chart below illustrates this intended shift.
Mainstreaming the "African Agenda"
A Solidified Role in Global Governance
AUThe African Union participated for the second time as a full permanent member.
Push for Industrialization
AfCFTAStrong promotion of industrialization by leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area.