World leaders gathered in Johannesburg on Saturday for the 20th G20 Summit and achieved a broad consensus on key global challenges as they adopted the South Africa Summit’s Leaders’ Declaration.
The adoption, announced at the Summit’s opening session, marks a significant moment for the G20, particularly as the meeting is being held in Africa for the first time.
Hosted under the theme ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’, the two-day gathering reflects a renewed push for equitable global governance.
The declaration acknowledges the rising frequency and intensity of disasters worldwide, noting that such shocks are undermining development progress and overstretching national and international response systems.
Leaders cautioned that these events hinder progress towards sustainable development and strain both national capabilities and the international system’s ability to respond.
The G20 called for integrated, people-centred approaches to disaster management, emphasising the need for strengthened resilience and rapid response mechanisms, with particular focus on vulnerable small island developing states and least developed countries.
Improving preparedness and boosting international support remain central to this agenda.
Focus on Energy Access and Just Transitions
Energy access and just transitions emerged as key priorities, with the declaration highlighting stark inequalities—most notably the fact that more than 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity.
Leaders expressed support for efforts to triple global renewable energy capacity and double improvements in energy efficiency by 2030.
The statement underscores the importance of mobilising scaled-up investment and increasing access to low-cost finance for developing countries.
It also stresses voluntary technology transfer ‘on mutually agreed terms’, positioning cooperation as essential for a fair and achievable global energy transition.
Recognising the growing significance of critical minerals in global supply chains, the G20 endorsed a new Critical Minerals Framework.
The document, described as voluntary, aims to guide countries towards ‘sustainable, transparent, stable and resilient critical minerals value chains’ that can support industrialisation and sustainable development.
The declaration affirms that mineral resources should act as drivers of value addition and inclusive growth rather than remain limited to raw material exports.
It reinforces the right of resource-rich countries to maximise the developmental benefits of their mineral endowments.
The Leaders’ Declaration reflects a shared understanding that the world’s most pressing challenges—from climate shocks to energy inequities and supply chain vulnerabilities—require coordinated and fair approaches.
The 2024 Johannesburg Summit thus marks an important step towards strengthening global cooperation, with leaders underscoring that solidarity and sustainability must guide future decision-making.
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