The 2025 G20 Summit, convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, marked a historic milestone as the first such gathering held on the African continent. Despite the unprecedented absence of the United States, which opted out due to domestic political considerations, the summit concluded with a robust 122-point declaration, signalling a collective commitment to multilateralism, solidarity, and inclusive global governance. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described the summit as a “triumph of multilateralism,” emphasising Africa’s rising influence in shaping international agendas traditionally dominated by Western powers.
Africa’s unique development challenges and opportunities were central to the Johannesburg discussions. Over 600 million Africans lack access to electricity, while nearly one billion still rely on traditional fuels for cooking, contributing to an estimated 700,000 deaths annually due to indoor air pollution. These figures underscore the urgency of integrating energy access and environmental sustainability into global economic policy frameworks. For the first time, Africa was not only hosting but actively shaping the agenda of a summit historically dominated by the priorities of advanced economies, highlighting a shift toward greater inclusivity and equity in global decision-making.
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The Johannesburg Declaration invoked the African philosophy of Ubuntu, “I am because we are”, to emphasise the interconnectedness of nations and the necessity of collective solutions. Leaders recognised that individual states cannot prosper in isolation, particularly in an era defined by geopolitical tensions, deepening inequalities, and increasing economic uncertainty. The declaration reaffirmed adherence to international law, including humanitarian principles and the UN Charter, and condemned attacks on civilians and infrastructure in conflict zones, including Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
In addressing global crises, the declaration went beyond rhetorical commitment. It explicitly tied development, peacebuilding, and disaster preparedness to multilateral cooperation. The summit highlighted the need for anticipatory action in disaster management, including parametric insurance, risk pools, and catastrophe bonds, to strengthen resilience, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). South Africa’s Recovery Readiness Assessment Framework, launched under its G20 Presidency, was cited as a voluntary tool for inclusive, evidence-based recovery planning that integrates disaster risk reduction with sustainable development.
Debt sustainability emerged as a central theme of Johannesburg. Many low- and middle-income countries face rising interest payments and constrained fiscal space, limiting investment in essential sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and climate adaptation. The declaration reaffirmed the G20 Common Framework for debt treatments, emphasising coordinated action, transparency, and innovative solutions, including debt-for-development and debt-for-climate swaps. Interest payments on external public debt for low-income countries have more than doubled over the past decade, creating severe constraints on growth and social development.
The G20 committed to strengthening mechanisms that enhance fiscal stability while enabling nations to pursue inclusive growth. Leaders underscored the need to address gaps in debt management, domestic resource mobilisation, and public financial management, and pledged ongoing collaboration with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and private creditors to support countries facing liquidity challenges. By prioritising debt sustainability, the summit positioned the Global South as a stakeholder capable of influencing financial governance structures and advocating for equitable treatment in global economic decision-making.
Energy Access and Just Transitions
Energy security and access were pivotal to the summit. The Johannesburg Declaration recognised that Africa’s electrification rate stands at a mere 40 percent, with over a billion people lacking access to clean cooking fuels. The G20 committed to tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the global rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, alongside supporting zero- and low-emission technologies.
Practical initiatives, including the Mission 300 programme led by the World Bank and African Development Bank, aim to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. Leaders underscored the importance of decentralised energy solutions, expansion of electricity grids, and enabling policy frameworks to promote clean cooking, sustainable industrialisation, and equitable energy transitions. The summit also stressed that energy planning must be integrated with climate objectives, poverty alleviation, and social inclusion to ensure that progress in decarbonisation does not exacerbate existing inequalities.
Harnessing Minerals and Industrial Potential
The Johannesburg Declaration highlighted the strategic importance of critical minerals in the context of rapid digitisation, industrial innovation, and energy transitions. Many developing countries, particularly in Africa, face underinvestment in mineral exploration, limited value addition, and insufficient beneficiation of raw resources. The declaration promoted sustainable industrialisation through High-Level Voluntary Principles for Sustainable Industrialisation Hubs, supporting equitable manufacturing, beneficiation at source, and inclusive economic growth. By linking industrialisation with energy access and climate commitments, the G20 sought to create synergistic pathways for emerging economies to benefit from global transitions while fostering domestic capacity and employment.
Investing in Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development
The declaration positioned disaster resilience and sustainable development as core components of multilateral cooperation. Leaders acknowledged that natural and human-induced disasters disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, exacerbating poverty and inequality. The G20 emphasised investment in early warning systems, nature-based solutions, and ecosystem-based approaches to mitigate risks and strengthen resilience. South Africa, under its G20 Presidency, launched its roadmap for the UN Early Warnings for All Initiative, aiming for universal coverage by 2027, and integrated these efforts with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and the Paris Climate Agreement.
The declaration also highlighted the critical role of international financial institutions, development banks, and private sector actors in supporting disaster recovery, mitigation, and reconstruction, particularly for countries unable to shoulder the full costs of adaptation. Leaders called for integrated, inclusive approaches to disaster risk reduction and anticipatory financing mechanisms that prioritise human lives and livelihoods.
Beyond economic and environmental priorities, the Johannesburg Declaration stressed the importance of investing in social infrastructure. Leaders reaffirmed commitments to advancing education, healthcare, and human capital development as essential pillars of inclusive growth. By connecting these priorities to broader financial, energy, and disaster frameworks, the G20 signalled that social equity is inseparable from economic stability and global resilience.
A Global Shift: Emerging Voices and New Priorities
The U.S. absence at Johannesburg was widely noted, yet the summit demonstrated that the G20 can function effectively and assertively, even amid geopolitical divergences. The prioritisation of Global South issues, debt sustainability, energy access, disaster resilience, industrialisation, and inclusive growth reflects a growing confidence among emerging economies to set global agendas. By hosting and shaping the declaration, Africa positioned itself not merely as a beneficiary of international frameworks but as a proactive architect of solutions addressing shared global challenges.
The Johannesburg Summit underscores a rebalancing of global power structures. It exemplifies how multilateralism can advance despite political fractures and illustrates the potential for Africa and the Global South to influence outcomes on economic, social, and environmental fronts. The outcomes of this summit are poised to shape global cooperation over the next decade, offering tangible strategies to promote prosperity, resilience, and sustainability.
Johannesburg as a Blueprint for the Future
The 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg represents a defining moment in international diplomacy. By embracing the philosophy of Ubuntu, reaffirming commitments to multilateralism, and embedding Africa’s priorities into a comprehensive global agenda, the summit showcased a model of inclusive, evidence-based, and collaborative governance. From disaster resilience and energy access to debt sustainability and industrialisation, Johannesburg provided both a framework and a vision for addressing the complex challenges facing the 21st-century global community.
Africa’s leadership at this summit signals that the continent is not only capable of hosting major global events but also of shaping the trajectory of international policymaking. The Johannesburg Declaration, with its wide-ranging commitments and detailed frameworks, stands as a blueprint for the world, a tangible demonstration that multilateralism, cooperation, and shared responsibility remain essential in a rapidly changing global order.
