Sun City: Henrik Harboe of Norway has highlighted the crucial role of the third Sherpa meeting in addressing international crises, including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the broader tensions in the Middle East. ‘We are halfway through this year, only five months away from the summit in November, so we have a lot of work to formulate, what are the G20 recommendations to deal with all these international crises and the big issues around development and economic stability in the world,’ he told SAnews.
According to South African Government News Agency, the third Sherpa meeting of the G20 kicked off on Wednesday morning at the Sun City Resort in the North West. ‘We’ll have a round [of discussions] about the G20’s role in the world in general. That’s very important. But then go straight into the geopolitical tensions. And then, of course, this being a group with a lot of different countries and different perspectives.
Harboe elaborated on the geopolitical issues, stating, ‘But I think we’ll touch upon Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the horrible crisis in Gaza as a result of Israel’s response to the terrorist attack. And then, of course, the recent developments in the broader Middle East, with both Israel and the US bombing of Iran.’ The Director of Development Policy at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed deep concern about recent developments, noting that these events involve multiple violations of international law and the United Nations (UN) Charter.
In his opening remarks, Zane Dangor, the Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and South Africa’s G20 Sherpa, announced that the Foreign Ministers will have in-depth discussions on global geopolitical issues. These discussions will focus on international law and mutual accountability, while emphasising the importance of prioritising substantive matters.
In December last year, South Africa welcomed Norway as a G20 guest country during its Presidency. In an interview with SAnews, Harboe, a Norwegian Sherpa, said South Africa was poised to make history as the first African nation to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit. According to Harboe, the G20 focuses on sustainable development and a stable global economy to ensure growth for all countries.
As the first Presidency in Africa, Harboe believes they will use their position to highlight critical issues such as energy security, essential minerals, and sustainable development. ‘All these issues are extremely important for Africa. So, we are very happy to see that and strongly support South Africa’s priority on these issues.’
The official is of the view that South Africa serves as a microcosm of global challenges, making its perspective crucial. ‘South Africa has a huge poverty problem, job creation problem, inequality, and these are exactly the issues. So, I think what we discussed around the G20 table is relevant for the world and developing countries, but also very much for Africa, and South Africa. South Africa’s own experience is extremely relevant for this broader discussion. I always encourage South African colleagues to talk about the challenges here.’
He mentioned that he had attended a Just Energy Transition programme, saying that while South Africa’s energy situation is challenging, it also serves as a valuable example for the world on how to conduct an energy transition in a fair manner while also creating job opportunities for young people.
On a lighter note, he told SAnews that he had a wonderful stay in Sun City since his arrival. ‘I always love South Africa. It’s fantastic. Since I’m from Norway, the cold weather, I don’t mind, the fresh morning like today was just nice. The only problem this morning was a monkey, taking my bread on the breakfast table,’ he said, with a chuckle.