His Excellency, President Thabo Mbeki (former)
Distinguished Guests
I wish to thank the Thabo MBEKI Foundation for the invitation to articulate “South Africa’s Vision and Commitment to Shaping a More Inclusive Global Governance System” and to unpack “the Pivotal Role of the Global South and South Africa’s Upcoming G20 Presidency in Advancing Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”.
It is indeed an honour to be invited by an institution that is dedicated to “facilitating dialogue on the strategic priorities and actions for Africa’s Renaissance”, a few days before the first ever Presidency of the G20 by an African country begins.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the interconnectedness of the global South and North. The growing unity and assertiveness of the global South has amplified its role in global governance and provided a platform for reshaping global governance structures to better reflect the needs and aspirations of the world’s majority. It can be said that the global South continues to demonstrate that it is not merely a passive participant but a transformative force in global governance, advocating for equity, inclusivity, and sustainable development in an evolving international order. This influence arises from their collective population size, economic growth trajectories, natural resources, and evolving geopolitical alliances.
Many countries in the global South are central to global trade networks and they are beginning to play a larger role in technology innovation, particularly in areas like fintech and renewable energy. Demonstrating the emergence of the global South in the global economy. Initiatives like the New Development Bank (NDB) and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reflect efforts to create alternative pathways for economic development and governance, bypassing traditional Western institutions.
Being home to the majority of the world’s population, representing a youthful and growing labor force has gifted the global South with a demographic dynamism that positions these nations as drivers of global consumption and production in the coming decades. In addition, the global South holds vast reserves of natural resources, including minerals, energy resources, and arable land, making it central to global supply chains and energy security.
Countries in the Global South advocate for greater representation in international institutions such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank. Forums such as the Conference of the Parties (COP) have witnessed the Global South shaping discussions on adaptation, mitigation, and the Loss and Damage Fund.
It is in this context of it being part of the global South that has shaped South Africa’s vision for an inclusive global governance system reflects South Africa commitment to creating a world that prioritizes fairness, sustainability, and cooperation. By championing reforms in international institutions, fostering African unity, and engaging in South-South cooperation, South Africa seeks to ensure that the voices of marginalized and developing nations are not only heard but have a meaningful impact on the global stage. This is drawn from our foreign policy principles that are rooted in human rights, solidarity, and African unity and it is succinctly summarised in our objective of “A better Africa, and a better world”.
So, we advocate for an inclusive global governance system that prioritizes equitable development, multilateral cooperation, and justice. South Africa has worked to reform international institutions and promote a more balanced world order. Let me give a brief overview of South Africa’s vision and commitments:
1. A Vision for Inclusive Multilateralism
South Africa envisions a global governance system that reflects the realities of the 21st century, especially the growing influence of the Global South and thus we advocate for:
• Reform of Global Institutions: South Africa has called for changes to the United Nations (particularly the Security Council), the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) to better represent developing nations.
• A Fairer Global Economic Order: South Africa seeks to address systemic inequalities in trade, finance, and technology transfer that disadvantage African and other developing countries.
2. Leadership on the African Continent
As a prominent member of the African Union (AU), South Africa tries to play an important role in advancing the continent’s agenda on global platforms, including:
• Agenda 2063: Aligning global governance reforms with the AU’s vision for a prosperous and peaceful Africa.
3. Commitment to BRICS and the Global South
South Africa’s active membership in BRICS demonstrates its commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation and through institutions like the New Development Bank (NDB), South Africa supports projects that address infrastructure and development gaps in emerging economies. The BRICS also serves as a platform for South Africa to amplify the collective voice of the Global South in global governance discussions.
4. Climate Justice and Sustainability
South Africa is vocal about the need for an inclusive approach to addressing climate change that considers the vulnerabilities of developing nations:
• Just Energy Transition: Advocating for international support to transition from coal-dependent energy systems while addressing unemployment and inequality and without indebting future generations
• Global Climate Financing: Pushing for increased and accessible funding mechanisms to assist developing countries in adapting to climate impacts including the possibility for a global climate insurance fund.
5. Peace, Security, and Human Rights
We continue to champion for conflict resolution and protection & promotion of human rights. We drive this through our Mediation Efforts such as South Africa’s contribution to peace-building processes in Africa, like in the Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and our participation in the African Peace Initiative on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. We are strong advocates for fair and inclusive global systems that uphold international law and human dignity. South Africa’s case in the International Court of Justice against Israel based on the plight of the people of Palestine is rooted on this principle.
6. Advocacy for Inclusive Trade and Development
South Africa promotes the need for equitable trade systems that enable meaningful participation by developing nations in the global economy. Our role in the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) seeks to leverage regional integration to enhance Africa’s collective bargaining power in global trade. A strong bargaining power is demonstrating its bearing in our call for fair access to technology and investments that support sustainable industrialization.
Therefore South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 will be informed by these principles.
As government we consider our imminent presidency of the G20 and the hosting of its Summit in 2025 not just as an honour to South Africa, but a historic opportunity for our continent to address longstanding inequities and to champion transformative policies that would benefit its people and those of the global South in general. It was indeed befitting that the African Union attained permanent membership of the G20 before our presidency and hosting of the Summit on African soil - as this offers us an opportunity to collectively leverage the presence of our Union in the G20 to champion a pan-African agenda.
South Africa’s G20 priorities
South Africa has chosen the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability” for its G20 Presidency. While the high-level deliverables and priorities of our G20 presidency resonate with the agenda of the Global South and Africa in particular; we have painstakingly ensured that our G20 presidency also mirrors and contributes to the realisation of our own national priorities and initiatives.
Priority 1: Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment and Inequality
South Africa has identified this priority with the view to elevating and accelerating the discussion around industrialisation, especially in Africa and other developing regions, focusing on special economic zones, green industries and technology, energy, food security, manufacturing, trade, logistics, and regional and global integration. This priority is strategically aligned with our own programme of action as articulated in the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024-2029 on Inclusive Economic Growth and Job Creation. The realisation of this priority requires an alignment of all spheres of economic policy behind the goals of achieving high employment, decent work and inclusive economic growth through industrialisation and re-industrialisation, in a manner that focuses on youth employment, closes the gender-gap, reduces inequality and protects the environment.
During its Presidency, South Africa will propose the creation of a Task Force on Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment and Inequality. The Task Force will provide a platform to share ideas on economic policy frameworks best suited for the individual needs of countries, while at the same time ensuring international policy coordination.
Priority 2: Food Security
Reports from prominent institutions such the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization paint a disturbing picture of the state of global hunger. Reports released by these organisations in July 2024 place the number of people who faced hunger globally at 733 million.
Africa continues to register negative food security trends, with 2024 being the fifth consecutive year of rising food insecurity on the continent. The number of Africans classified as “food stressed” increased by 11 million to a record high of 225 million in 2024. Sub-Saharan Africa’s continued reliance on subsistence farming and food imports makes the continent susceptible to a combination of global and local factors, such as extreme weather, economic shocks and conflict.
We have equally linked the food security issue with our own programme of action. Food security falls squarely within the ambit of South Africa’s own Priority 2 of the MTDP 2024-2029 on Reduction of Poverty and Tackling the High Cost of Living. Among other outcomes, the government has committed itself to ensuring an effective, integrated and comprehensive poverty alleviation strategy aimed at lifting the most vulnerable out of poverty.
During our G20 presidency we propose the establishment of a Task Force on Food Security. The task Force will look at food security and systems under regional and global pillars. Under the regional pillar, it is envisaged that the G20 could task the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to monitor, provide technical advice and encourage regional approaches to resilience in food systems, such as water, energy, infrastructure, trade, and climate change. Under the global pillar, the Task Force would embark on initiatives to address the drivers of food insecurity due to speculative activities, market concentration, and barriers related to food trading systems. Government of South Africa is currently considering a strategy to prevent Food Waste or Loss.
Priority 3: Artificial Intelligence and Innovation for Sustainable Development
Artificial Intelligence (AI) features strongly in the 19th G20 Summit Leaders' Declaration (Brazil 2024). The Declaration emphasised that AI progress brings great opportunities for development within the framework of the digital economy and highlights the importance of establishing safeguards to uphold human rights, governance, the need for human supervision and appropriate regulation. This would ensure the alignment of technological development with human values.
South Africa has noted that all these issues impact some of her priorities, especially those pertaining to Inclusive Economic Growth and Job Creation as AI will impact the world of work and the emergence of the digital economy. Consequently, South Africa proposes that during its presidency of the G20, a Task Force on Artificial Intelligence be established to play a crucial role in aligning Africa's strategic priorities with the broader global agenda; ensuring that regional perspectives and needs are integrated into the international discourse on AI governance. We are strongly considering legacy projects of South Africa’s G20 Presidency in the field of AI.
“The G20 after 20 Years”: A Reflection on Key Achievements and the Way Forward
During its presidency of the G20, South Africa also proposes a comprehensive review of the work of G20. The review will identify proposals to strengthen consensus building. At the G20 Brazil Leaders Summit, our President introduced the concept of “sufficient consensus” which is was used during South Africa’s CODESA negotiations.
Furthermore, South Africa plans to continue the practice started by Brazil to include civil society that are not yet involved in the work of the G20 engagement groups. In this regard, a partnership with non-governmental organisations such as Thabo Mbeki Foundation known for facilitating dialogues will come in handy to bring together representatives of the existing engagement groups and other segments of civil society that may offer meaningful contributions to the G20.
The world, or at least parts of it, has been subjected to elements of global governance for a few centuries now, with the various empires that have ruled at different times imposing elements of global governance, some of which doctrinally survive to this day. The Second World War and the outcomes thereof have given the world much of what obtains today as the prime institutions and systems of global governance. However, that period is vastly and materially different from the world of today. Many countries of the South were colonies at the time and this was notably the case in Africa. The countries that were defeated during that war were largely marginalised or contained as a measure of preventing them from becoming a threat to global peace and security. They were arguably co-opted into the global institutions and systems of governance later but importantly, within the prism of the Cold War, that largely defined global affairs after the Second World War.
There are several other forces with a strategic motive that have since come to the fore: much of the colonial world has been liberated; climate change is a global challenge that poses an existential threat to humanity; demographic changes in the population of the world and the inherent migration patterns underpinning it have changed markedly; the dizzying speed of evolution of technologies, notably Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, bring about in almost equal measure opportunities and risks; the deep sea and deep space are areas of inquiry and exploitation that require progressive and equitable global governance; non-state actors often pay a role equal to or even bigger than state actors, including terrorist networks and transnational criminal syndicates; and the capacity of a few countries to take and effect decisions across the world, including outside the context of the established institutions of global governance.
Without a doubt, the current architecture has prejudiced the countries of the South more than the countries of the North. The scope of issues covered or requiring global governance is very wide and affects almost every facet of humanity. The challenge facing the world in this respect is whether or not these institutions of global governance need “pragmatic reform” or “pragmatic transformation”, or elements of both. Thus South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 must not only provide an answer to this question, but advance reforms of the institutions of global governance to become systems and institutions that will be relevant and effective for the next 50 to 100 years.
Thank you
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