Pretoria: South Africa’s Presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) is making significant progress in tackling global challenges through an inclusive and collaborative approach. This is according to the country’s G20 Sherpa, Zane Dangor. Sherpas are the personal representatives of the G20 leaders.
According to South African Government News Agency, Dangor, who is also the Director-General for International Relations and Cooperation, chaired the second virtual meeting of the G20 Sherpas in Pretoria. He emphasized the importance of Ubuntu, a philosophy of inclusiveness and solidarity, in addressing global challenges and achieving shared interests across international organizations. Dangor expressed appreciation for the spirit of Ubuntu embraced by the G20 members, highlighting its role in commitment and solidarity towards shared prosperity.
South Africa’s commitment to multilateralism and shared prosperity was underscored, with 15 working groups already conducting their first meetings and three task force meetings. The G20 working groups cover various areas, including development, anti-corruption, culture, education, women’s empowerment, environment, health, tourism, and disaster risk management. Dangor encouraged participants to refine and advance collective objectives based on the reflections of working group members.
Dangor also discussed diplomatic engagement, noting that the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in February expressed strong support for South Africa’s themes and priorities, particularly in managing geopolitical issues. The G20 foreign ministers endorsed South Africa’s Presidency priorities, focusing on sustainable development and debt sustainability for low-income countries.
Additionally, Dangor mentioned South Africa’s aim to foster in-depth discussions on geopolitical matters, following Brazil’s model, through ministerial and leadership channels while allowing working groups to focus on technical issues. He acknowledged the enormous task ahead and the need for support from key members and international organizations.
The objective of the two-day meeting, concluding on Friday, was to take stock of progress, identify areas for improvement, and address key issues. Dangor announced that the next G20 Sherpa meeting will be held from 26 to 28 June 2025 at the Sun City Resort in the North West, marking an in-person gathering to continue collaborative discussions.