African leaders hopeful that AU inclusion in G20 will propel Climate Change talk

South Africa has however been the only African country member of the grouping by virtue of being a founding member.

The African continent joined the G20 as a regional bloc with 55 countries making it at par with the European Union, which is representing 27 countries in the group. 

The AU induction into G20 group happened on Saturday 9th September 2023 in New Delhi India in a declaration by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as part of a common position by the G20 leaders in attendance of the Summit.

Narendra rang members, attention-seeking bell when he invited African Union lead to the high table. “With everyone’s approval, I request the African union head to take his seat as a permanent G20 member,” Modi invited the AU Chairperson Azali Assoumani. 

Assoumani confessed his emotions preceding the declaration, “I was about to cry and I was full of great emotions after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the entry of the 55-member African bloc into the prestigious G20 grouping.”

The AU leader thanked the G20 chairperson Narendra Modi for playing an important role in accepting the African Union’s membership into the group Summit. Modi who is the current Indian prime minister, first pitched the AU inclusion in June 2023.India is the current G20 chairing country.

The declaration came barely two days after the conclusion of African Climate Summit (ACS) held in Nairobi, Kenya, themed "Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World”

African leaders welcomed the move to incorporate African continent into the G20 with various global leaders also sending a word. United States, Russia and European Union among those who hailed the move, pouring praises to the India’s G20 Summit declarations.

“It is an important show of inclusivity, it is important to bring the African Continent onboard to address all time challenges,” Charles Michel, European Council president said.

Dr. William Ruto, president of the republic of Kenya and coordinator of the committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) lauded the gesture by the G20 Summit. 

In his official twitter account, Ruto wrote: “We welcome AU, representing the fastest growing continent, getting a seat in G20. This will give African interests and perspectives voice and visibility in this important body.” 

“With Africa poised to grow in the coming years, a seat will allow it to shape the decisions of G20 to ensure the continent’s interests are advanced.  The outcome of the just concluded Africa Climate Summit including fundamental reforms of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks is one thing that AU will advance,” Ruto added.

The entry of the AU would provide greater voice to the Global South within the G20 where the G7 countries have long played a dominant role.

In the just concluded African Climate Summit (ACS) it emerged that African Union has resources the world needs to combat climate change, for instance African continent has 60% of the world’s renewable energy assets.

African Union also wants reforms to global financial systems like World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  Currently, African countries pay more interests than others to borrow money globally.

The New Delhi declaration focuses on concerns of emerging countries, which include debt reductions, climate finance, food security among others.

With the integration of the African Union into the group, the table has become bigger for the G20 and it is likely to be renamed G21.

The leaders who attended the G20 Club Summit in Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition Convention Centre (IECC) in New Delhi included US President Joe Biden, British PM Rishi Sunak, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, UN chief Antonia Guterres, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese, UAE President Shaikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan among other leaders of the G20 grouping.

G20 was formed in 1999 to sort out the then Asian financial crisis. The group was meant to unite finance ministers and central banks from twenty of the world’s largest established and emerging economies.

A decade later, at the height of the global economic crisis, the G20 was elevated to include heads of state and government. The G20 group in 2023 has 21 members.

The G20 members in 2023 include:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union and the African Union which is the latest to join the group.