Johannesburg: The third Sherpa meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) commenced on Wednesday, centering on global collaboration, sustainable development, and addressing emerging international challenges.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Sun City Convention Centre was bustling with representatives from the world’s largest economies and organizations as Zane Dangor, the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and South Africa’s G20 Sherpa, delivered his opening remarks. The meeting, spanning three days, aims to gather international representatives to deliberate on critical global challenges and explore potential collaborative solutions.
The theme for the meeting is ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’. Dangor emphasized the role of Foreign Ministers in leading discussions on global geopolitical issues, focusing on international law and mutual accountability, with a priority on substantive matters. He acknowledged the G20 as a crucial platform for international economic cooperation, highlighting that ongoing global conflicts are detrimental not only to peace and security but also to economic development and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.
While only the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and ultimately the leaders will engage in geopolitical issues, the working groups will concentrate on technical matters. The meeting marked the beginning of a series of 10 sessions, during which leadership changes were announced, including new Sherpas and representatives from Brazil, India, China, and the United Kingdom. This shift indicates a new approach to international cooperation.
Dangor stressed the importance of creating actionable, measurable declarations that extend beyond aspirational statements, with a commitment to reducing global inequalities. The goal is to ensure that none of the working groups fail to reach consensus. The gathering also aims to shape a clear and actionable G20 Leaders’ Declaration, with a strong emphasis on sustainable development, reducing inequalities, and achieving measurable goals.
With 132 planned meetings, the Presidency has already hosted 70, and most working groups have completed their third sessions. The Sherpa also announced the upcoming social summit and concluded the opening remarks with confidence in the fruitful deliberations expected over the next three days.