Your Excellence, fellow Foreign Ministers
Head of the delegation
Famous Representative
First, I would like to express my deep gratitude to you all for being a very productive First Ministers meeting under South Africa’s G20 President. Additionally, we would like to thank the members of the G20 Troika, Brazil and the United States for their support and cooperation during the G20 presidency.
The meeting had two main purposes.
To have high-level strategic discussions about the global geopolitical environment and its impact on work. Reflections on the priorities and high-level deliverables of South Africa’s G20 presidency.
The meeting was held by Inter Aria President Matamera Cyril Ramaphosa.
The first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Conference based on the South African presidency:
It was noted that the first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Conference under the South African presidency was historic as it was the first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Continent to be held. He expressed his support for the theme of South Africa’s G20 presidency. Solidarity, equality, sustainability, its priorities and high level deliverables, namely: strengthening disaster resilience. Ensuring the sustainability of debt in low-income countries. Mobilize funds for Just Energy Transition. harnesses important minerals for inclusive growth and development. In relation to high level deliverables: Task Force 1 – reduction in inclusive economic growth, industrialization, employment, and inequality. Task Force 2 – Food Security. Task Force 3 – Innovation for Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Sustainable Development. Additionally, we proposed the following additional initiatives: A review of the work of the G20. Cost of capital review. Enlarged compact using Africa 2.0. Important mineral initiatives. The South African presidency focused on fruitful discussions and inputs on various priorities and high-level deliverables to elaborate on these in the various work flows of 2025. We look forward to the active participation and contribution of all our delegations. It reaffirmed the role of the G20 as the best forum for international economic cooperation, highlighted the collective responsibility of the G20 for effective stewardship of the global economy, and promoted the conditions of sustainable, resilient and comprehensive global growth as a key element in a broader multilateral system. Please note that slow progress is being made in achieving the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To this end, the conference highlighted the need for urgent action to accelerate efforts and reaffirm the G20’s strong commitment to the SDG in line with themes, solidarity, equality and sustainability. He emphasized that ongoing conflicts around the world are detrimental to economic development and achieving SDGs. The impact of war on education and health was highlighted by some participants as a major concern. This highlighted sustainable investment in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Regarding ongoing conflicts and wars in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, the Conference reiterated that all states must act in a manner consistent with the objectives and principles of the UN Charter. We have confirmed that all parties to the conflict must comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Guided by these principles, there was an agreement to support all efforts towards just peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other major conflicts around the world. It has recognised the growing geopolitical sector that has helped cultivate a climate of mistrust and threatened to unravel the progress made to address pressing global challenges such as poverty, climate change, the pandemic, nuclear proliferation and armed conflict. He expressed support for the South African proposed work methods to manage geopolitical issues during the G20 presidency. G20 Sherpas, the Foreign Minister and Leader will be involved in these issues, and the working group will focus solely on technical issues. 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, reaffirms its commitment to strengthening multilateralism, and notes that all states must act in a manner consistent with the objectives and principles of the UN Charter. It highlighted the need to reform the international system of global governance, including international financial architecture, multilateral trading systems, and multilateral development banks. He also reformed the United Nations to highlight the need to tailor its purposefully relate to current international realities. This includes reforms to the Security Council. He expressed his support for the fourth Funding (FFD4) conference for development scheduled to be held in Seville, Spain in June 2025, and announced the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) to be held in Belem, Brazil in November 2025. There was support and recognition that Africa’s voice needs to be heard and elevated in the work of the G20, and we were able to find solutions to address the world’s most urgent global challenges. South Africa has noted specific information on the operationalization of the task force and the requests made by the delegation regarding the costs of capital review. It reminded me of paragraph 84 of the 2024 G20 Rio de Janeiro leader’s declaration. The G20 leaders stated, “We appreciate the first full cycle of the G20 president under the President of South Africa, fully honoring the principles agreed at the Cannes Summit in 2011, and provide recommendations for the second cycle. South Africa has committed to presenting a four-stage roadmap for this proposed G20 review, including an explanation of the recommended approach and research methods that includes participation of G20 members, guest countries and invited stakeholders. The final report will be presented for adoption at the final G20 Sherpa conference, which will be held from 16-19 November 2025.
thank you.
