PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA CLOSING REMARKS AT THE G20 LEADERS SUMMIT

“I extend my deepest gratitude for the steadfast support you have shown throughout South Africa’s G20 Presidency. Your commitment has been vital in reaffirming the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and ensuring that it continues to drive progress on our most important challenges.
 
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.
 
South Africa’s Presidency marks the first time that the G20 has been hosted on African soil.
 
Recognising the importance of this milestone, we have sought to place Africa’s growth and development at the heart of the G20’s agenda. The greatest opportunity for prosperity in the 21st century lies in Africa. Harnessing that opportunity will require a strong partnership between Africa and the G20, and indeed between Africa and the rest of the world.
 
Recognising our interconnectedness as a global community of nations, we have called for an end to conflicts and wars around the globe and for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.

This summit has taken place at a crucial moment, as calls around the world grow louder for progress on the imperatives of our time: to end poverty in all its forms, to reduce inequality within and among countries, and to take urgent action to combat climate change. This year, we have recognised the growing debt burden faced by many developing economies as a major obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
 
The G20 has pledged to extend support to low‑ and middle‑income countries as they confront debt vulnerabilities. Together, we must create a virtuous cycle of reduced debt, higher public investment and more rapid and inclusive economic growth.
 
When we began our Presidency, we pledged to mobilise the G20 to strengthen disaster resilience and response. Climate‑induced natural disasters spare no country, but their toll is heaviest on those without the means to recover and rebuild. We therefore called on G20 Leaders to urge the global community to scale up post-disaster reconstruction.
 
In this regard, South Africa introduced the High-Level Voluntary Principles for Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction and encouraged international collaboration to strengthen investment in preventing and responding to disasters. We have made progress in mobilising finance for a just energy transition.
 
Climate change touches every nation, but its impacts are unevenly felt. That is why we have together pledged to increase the quality and quantity of climate finance to developing economies, to strengthen multilateral development banks, to support country platforms like the Just Energy Transition Partnership, and to unlock private capital. We reaffirmed our dedication to energy security, affordability and universal access, and the importance of supporting developing economies in their transition to low carbon emissions. We recognised the need for deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the need to substantially scale up investment and climate finance from all sources.
 
During this summit, we reaffirmed our support for the G20 Critical Minerals Framework, a cooperative blueprint to ensure that critical mineral resources drive prosperity and sustainable development across the globe. Our Presidency coincided with the end of the first cycle of G20 Presidencies.
 
Following the mandate given to our Presidency at the 2024 Rio de Janeiro Summit, we undertook the G20@20 Review, drawing on the diverse perspectives of participating members and guest countries. It is our hope that recommendations of the Review will serve as a helpful guide for the G20 to ensure that it remains fit for purpose in an ever-changing world.
 
At the heart of our Presidency lies a conviction that the G20 must act boldly, and act together, to create an environment of inclusive growth, reduced inequality and sustainable development. South Africa has used this Presidency to place the priorities of Africa and the Global South firmly at the heart of the G20 agenda. Building on the developmental agenda of previous Presidencies in Indonesia, India and Brazil, we have prioritised the issues that matter most to developing economies.

The G20 South Africa Summit Leaders’ Declaration is more than words – it is a commitment to concrete actions 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. More than that, it reaffirms our renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation and our recognition that our shared goals outweigh our differences.
 
Together, we must accelerate progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Pact for the Future. We have laid the foundation of solidarity; now we must build the walls of justice and the roof of prosperity.

Let us move forward together, demonstrating to the world that we have the capacity to confront and overcome the world’s challenges. Through partnerships across society, and by remembering our common humanity, we can create a more secure, a more just and a more prosperous world. Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind. I thank you.”