The G20 summit, hosting the world's most influential and powerful leaders, concluded yesterday in New Delhi, India.
The G20 convenes on an annual basis, with leadership rotating among its member countries. Although the bloc Initially focused largely on broad macroeconomic issues, it has since expanded its agenda to include trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption.
This year's summit revolved around the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future.' This marked a historic occasion as India hosted this influential gathering of global leaders for the first time.
For Africa, this G20 summit was anything but ordinary. On Saturday, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the African Union as the newest member of a bloc, placing the continent at the forefront of one of the world's most influential global governance bodies.
The G20, made up of 19 countries comprises the world's most influential and substantial economies, representing 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world's population.
But until the admission of the AU into the G20, South Africa was the bloc's only G20 member.
Aside from the 19 member countries, including South Africa, that participated in the summit, three African countries were in attendance as 'Guest Countries' at this year's summit.
Here are the countries:
![President Bola Tinubu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 Summit. [Presidency]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'790'%20height%3D'527'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "President Bola Tinubu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 Summit. [Presidency]")
The Nigerian President left for India five days before the summit and has used his time to attract investment pledges of about $14 billion from Indian investors into different sectors including the power sector and automobile industry in the country.
Speaking before world leaders at the 18th G-20 Leaders' Summit held in New Delhi, India, President Bola Tinubu emphasized the need for international unity and cooperation in tackling pressing challenges, fostering inclusiveness, and establishing a fairer world order.
He emphasised that Nigeria is well-positioned, capable, and eager to play a significant role within the G-20 community and contribute to shaping a new global order. He argued that without Nigeria's participation, the G-20 would be incomplete.
Regarding the African Union's (AU) inclusion in the G-20, Tinubu welcomed the decision, saying, “It opens opportunities for future membership of the group in a manner that reflects the relative balance of power and inclusiveness of humanity as One Family.”
This year, India, and Mauritius celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India's commitment to advancing the representation of the Global South during a bilateral meeting with his Mauritian counterpart, Pravind Jugnauth, at the summit.
During their meeting, both leaders discussed cooperation in various sectors, including infrastructure, FinTech, and culture.
On Mauritius-India trade relations, PM Jugnauth said, "India has signed first agreement with the first country in Africa with Mauritius. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is another testimony of the consideration that India has for Mauritius. This has now opened up new avenues for trade between the two countries...It is beneficial to both countries..."
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi called for the provision of effective support to developing countries to achieve sustainable development goals, in the face of negative repercussions on the economy, food, and energy from many successive global crises.
On the sidelines of the G20 summit, the president held discussions with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan on topics including bilateral relations, energy cooperation, as well as regional and global matters.
The meeting marked an important development in Egypt-Turkey relations, as they had recently upgraded their diplomatic ties by appointing ambassadors to each other's capitals in July, following a period of strained relations lasting a decade.
Speaking on the admission of the African Union (AU) as a full member to the Group of 20 (G20), the Egyptian president stressed that the move is "a step in the right direction that offers an opportunity to set the continent's priorities on the international agenda."
Other ‘Guest Countries’ at this year’s summit were Bangladesh, Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and UAE.
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
