The third Sherpa meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) kicked off on Wednesday, focusing on global collaboration, sustainable development, and addressing new international challenges.
The Sun City Convention Centre was filled with representatives from the world’s largest economies and organisations 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, which will run for three days, brings together international representatives to discuss critical global challenges and explore potential collaborative solutions.
The meeting will take place under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”.
Dangor announced that the Foreign Ministers will lead detailed discussions on global geopolitical issues, focusing on international law and mutual accountability while emphasising the need to prioritise substantive matters.
“The meeting also provides an opportunity for Sherpas to have a discussion, dare I say it, on the geopolitical issues as part of the agenda.
“And I think, we’ve always shied away from geopolitical issues, but given the events not only of the last two years but particularly of the last month, we’re going to have some discussion in a measured but robust way,” he told delegates.
He recognised that the G20 serves as a platform for international economic cooperation, making it a crucial focus.
“But the ongoing conflict worldwide, as it has been pointed out before, is definitely now even more detrimental not just to peace and security but economic development and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.
“So, we will discuss it, but we will also make sure it doesn’t hold us back.”
However, he said, only the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and ultimately the leaders will engage in the geopolitical issues, following the example set by Brazil, while the working groups will concentrate on the technical issues.
Today’s meeting marked the beginning of a series of 10 sessions, during which Dangor announced leadership changes, including the appointment of several new Sherpas and representatives from Brazil, India, China, and the United Kingdom.
This shift indicates a new approach to international cooperation.
“The discussions will provide us with the opportunity to refine objectives. We will report back from some of the working groups and task teams, and we’ll look at how they align with the priorities we’ve set up to ensure that we do reach out to inclusivity and that also reflect our own collective aspirations.”
Dangor stressed the importance of creating actionable, measurable declarations that go beyond aspirational statements, with a commitment to reducing global inequalities.
“It is our responsibility, collectively as Sherpas, to resolve the challenges that are being presented to us within the working groups or task teams, even the new emerging challenges, and there are many new emerging challenges. I do think that we should work to ensure that none of the working group fails to reach consensus.”
According to South Africa’s G20 Sherpa, 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.
Dangor said he hoped that the G20 Leaders’ Declaration has concrete, measurable, and time-bound actions, not just aspirational statements.
He announced that, out of the 132 planned meetings, the Presidency has already hosted 70, and most of the working groups have completed their third sessions.
The Sherpa also announced the upcoming social summit.
He concluded the opening remarks, expressing confidence in the fruitful deliberations over the next three days. – SAnews.gov.za
