The support for the G20 Leaders’ Summit declaration signals it will be defended by nations that attended the event in Johannesburg this weekend, department of international relations and co-operation Chrispin Phiri says.
He was addressing journalists at the media centre at the Nasrec Expo Centre on the second day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on Sunday morning. On Saturday, the summit presented and adopted a Leaders’ Declaration on matters including global security, sustainability, trade and multilateralism.
“We have a declaration. They have affirmed it, and it will stand. It will forever be known as the South Africa Declaration and that is something to be really proud of, among what we are seeing in the international community.”
South Africa managed to successfully conclude the first day despite disruptions from the US, including a request to attend on Sunday and have a US chargé d’affaires receive the presidency from President Cyril Ramaphosa at the plenary.
The presidency said the request was declined as this would be a breach of protocol. The White House has since released a statement saying the adoption of the declaration in their absence was a breach of protocol, despite previous threats to boycott the meeting.
Phiri said the G20 discussions will not end in Nasrec, but will reverberate into other platforms and discussions through various structures of the international community, which G20 members are also a part of.
“The question of inequality doesn’t only end within the G20 corridors. It also coincides with the Holy Seas Report, the Jubilee Report from the Vatican around inequality, and those issues will permeate into other forums as well.”
He said South Africa drove priorities that were unique or of greater importance to the country and others on the African continent, including inequality, as well as initiatives aimed at catalysing development and driving job creation.
“We have inequality challenges in this country. [We also need to prioritise] ensuring that we industrialise in a manner that is beneficial to South Africa. So, for us, this consolidates our domestic agenda and we will be able to ensure that we drive these national priorities, also, in an international forum.”
Asked about the White House statement, Phiri simply responded: “If they wanted to comment, they should have been in the room.”
TimesLIVE
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