The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD jointly convened a G20 Dialogue Session with African Diplomatic Missions in Pretoria on 4 March 2025. Held under Chatham House rules, the closed session facilitated productive discussions with the African diplomatic community in Pretoria on financing for development and climate finance issues on the G20 agenda with a particular focus on matters relevant to the African continent. This event built on the inaugural Dialogue Session which was held on 8 November 2024.
The session drew strong attendance with representation from 32 African Diplomatic Missions as well as the UNDP, the South African government and various think tanks.
Key takeaways included:
- African coordinated efforts: Given the AU’s permanent membership in the G20, the need for a structured engagement framework was highlighted to facilitate the development of unified continental positions.
- Unified African voices in the G20 through caucus meetings: It was suggested that representatives of the African continent in the G20 should have caucus meetings in preparation of G20 meetings to present a united African position.
- Continued briefings with African diplomatic community: Participants emphasised their strategic importance as African diplomatic missions as conduits to their respective nations, underscoring the necessity for sustained engagement.
- Formal briefings of the African diplomatic community by the South African government: Addressing the South African government representative, the African diplomatic community emphasised the need to conduct official briefings for the African diplomatic community to provide an update on South Africa’s G20 presidency.
- G20 impacts on the African continent: Participants pointed to the need for evaluating the impact of the G20 to the continent and communicating the same to stakeholders on the continent.
Attendees reflected on recent G20 meetings, observing the notable absence of the US, China, Japan, India and Canada from the Finance Ministers’ meeting, in particular. Despite this, they remained optimistic about the G20’s potential for progress. The discussion emphasised the importance of achieving tangible results and strategically using the G20 forum to advance Africa’s interests, while openly acknowledging the difficulties created by current global events and political tensions.
The G20 Dialogue Session proved successful, highlighting the ongoing necessity for a dedicated African platform to address G20 matters of continental importance.
