Staff Reporter

Group of 20 (G20) leaders, meeting for the first time on African soil, adopted a declaration addressing the climate crisis and other global challenges on yesterday, successfully navigating a last-minute objection from Argentina and a complete boycott by the United States.

The declaration’s adoption, which breaks G20 tradition by proceeding without the consensus of all members, marks a major diplomatic win for host nation South Africa and President Cyril Ramaphosa, but deepens the rift between Pretoria and Washington.

The U.S. delegation, led by President Donald Trump’s administration, boycotted the Johannesburg summit, citing unsubstantiated claims that South Africa’s majority-Black government is persecuting its white minority.

This claim has been widely discredited by South African officials and international observers.

According to the 2024 mid-year population estimates from Statistics South Africa, the country’s population of approximately 63 million is overwhelmingly Black.

51.5 million, or 81.7% of the population is black while the white is 4.5 million, or 7.2% of the population.

5.3 million, or 8.5% of the population is coloured while Indian/Asian people occupy 1.6 million, or 2.6% of the population.

In terms of farm murders, the issue cited by the Trump administration, police data for the 2022-2023 financial year recorded 51 murders on farms out of a national total of nearly 27,500 murders.

The United States’ opposition also stemmed from the declaration’s language, which strongly emphasized the seriousness of climate change and the need for global cooperation on adaptation, a priority championed by South Africa’s presidency.

Drafted without U.S. input, the 122-point declaration urged greater global action on issues critical to the developing world, including:

– Climate-Related Disasters: Addressing the disproportionate impact of climate disasters on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

– Renewable Energy: Praising ambitious targets to boost renewable energy.

– Debt Sustainability: Noting the punishing levels of debt service suffered by poor countries and urging strengthened mechanisms for debt relief.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, confirmed the declaration’s adoption, stating there was overwhelming consensus for the document, and that the text can’t be renegotiated despite U.S. objections and a last-minute withdrawal from negotiations by Argentina, a close U.S. ally.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly immediately accused South Africa of weaponizing their G20 presidency to undermine the group’s founding principles, while President Trump looks forward to restoring legitimacy when the U.S. holds the rotating presidency next year.