South Africa’s G20 Gathering Charts New Course for Global Climate Action and Equity Reform

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa brought the curtains down on the first G20 summit ever hosted on African soil on Sunday, striking the ceremonial gavel to formally conclude the historic gathering.

In a notable departure from tradition, world leaders adopted their joint communiqué on the opening day—a move pushed through despite strong resistance from the United States, which had been openly critical of Pretoria’s G20 agenda, particularly its emphasis on climate action and global economic inequality.

Ramaphosa said the final declaration embodied a “revitalised pledge to multilateralism,” underscoring the need for cooperation at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension.
“Recognising our shared interdependence, we have called for an end to conflicts across the world and for a just, comprehensive, and enduring peace,” he said.

Delivering his closing remarks, the president stressed that the summit came at a defining moment, as global appeals intensified for tangible progress on the “pressing imperatives of our era”—eradicating poverty, narrowing inequalities between and within nations, and accelerating urgent climate interventions.

He added that the consensus reached showed that common ambitions outweighed political rifts, and that leaders had committed themselves to real, measurable actions that would uplift populations worldwide.

“With this strike of the gavel, I declare the 2025 G20 Summit officially closed,” Ramaphosa announced. “The baton now passes to the next G20 president, the United States, where we shall reconvene next year.”

Traditionally, the symbolic gavel is handed directly to the incoming host nation’s leader. But there was no handover to U.S. President Donald Trump after Washington boycotted the summit, citing his debunked claim that South Africa is violently repressing its white Afrikaner minority.

Pretoria said the ceremonial transfer would not proceed because the U.S. intended to send only an embassy representative—an act South Africa described as disrespectful to the host nation.

The United States is scheduled to assume the G20 presidency for 2026, with the White House announcing plans to hold the summit at Trump’s Doral golf resort in Florida.

Source: Africa News