|
LISTEN TO THIS THE AFRICANA VOICE ARTICLE NOW
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Africa Finally Gets a Seat at the G20 Table
The 2023 G20 summit, held in New Delhi, India on September 9-10, was a landmark event for the African continent. The summit, which was hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focused on issues such as the global economy, climate change, and sustainable development. In line with its theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” the world’s wealthiest nations invited the African Union (AU) to be a permanent member of the G20.
In recent years, several members of the club including the US President have been pushing for Africa’s admission to the G20 to represent inclusion, sustainable development in the global south and to address emerging issues such as terrorism and climate change.
Narendra Modi invited the AU Chairperson, Azali Assoumani, who is also the President of the Union of Comoros.
Hitherto, the G 20 comprised 19 countries and the European Union. The EU champions its member states’ issues at the summit. The European Council lauded Africa’s admission, saying it brings inclusivity.
“We need to bring the African continent together to address the challenges,” Charles Michel, European Council President.
The AU will now be representing all the countries on the continent at the G20, just like the EU.
The AU’s admission to the G20 is a major milestone for Africa. It is a recognition of the continent’s growing economic and political clout, and it will give African leaders a seat at the table when decisions are made about the global economy.
The AU’s permanent membership will also give Africa a stronger voice in addressing global challenges such as terrorism and climate change. The AU has a wealth of experience in dealing with these issues, and its participation in the G20 will help to ensure that they are given the attention they deserve.
However, it is worth noting that South Africa has been a member of the G20 since 1999 the summit was founded to provide a forum for cooperation on economic and financial issues.
“All States must act in a manner consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN charter in its entirety,” it stated in part. “All States must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state,” the declaration read further.
Despite the declarations falling short of calling out Russia for the Ukraine invasion the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, called the declaration a success.
“It is important that once again we have found words to make it clear that the territorial integrity of a state like Ukraine cannot simply be challenged with violence from its neighbour,” Scholz said.
The declaration also talked about cryptocurrency, calling on all the G20 leaders to regulate, supervise and oversee the crypto market.
The Delhi declaration also acknowledged the impact of climate change especially on the least developed countries and islands, thereby urging all countries to follow the Paris agreement, which states that global warming should be limited to 1.5 degree celsius.
The declaration instructed all countries to revisit and strengthen their emission targets.
Besides the main Summit, at the sidelines of the Summit, the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) meeting happened. The GBA members: India, Brazil, USA, Argentina, South Africa, UAE, Bangladesh are seeking to increase ethanol blending in petrol by up to 20%. This, they argue, will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.
Interestingly, China and Russia skipped the Summit at the Indian capital. This could be because of the Ukraine war, for which the two countries have been criticized by the West for its support. Therefore by skipping the summit, they were probably avoiding a potential confrontation with Western leaders, including President Biden of the US.
Besides, China could have skipped the summit because of its simmering tensions with India. China and India have been locked in a border dispute for decades. The tensions have escalated in recent years, and there have been several deadly clashes between the two countries’ troops.
The summit was attended by 43 world leaders including heads of states and heads of global agencies like the UN and the World Bank. In addition, there were 25,000 delegates from 115 countries.
Uganda Releases Kenyan Fishermen After Months In Detention
Three Kenyan fishermen released from Ugandan prisons after successful talks
Three Kenyan fishermen who were arrested in May 2021 for allegedly engaging in illegal fishing activities in Lake Victoria have been released by Ugandan authorities.
The fishermen, who are known as the “Bujiri 3,” were arrested by security officers from Uganda after they were found fishing in Ugandan waters without a license. They were subsequently detained in a prison in Namayingo, Uganda.
The release of the fishermen follows successful talks between security officials from Kenya and Uganda. Busia County Commissioner Kipchumba Rutto said that the talks were held over a period of time and that he was happy that the fishermen had finally been released.
Speaking on behalf of the government of Uganda, Namayingo Commissioner Deborah Mwesigwa warned fishermen against breaking the law when fishing in Lake Victoria. She noted that the lake is a shared resource between Kenya and Uganda and that it is important to protect and preserve it.
“This forgiveness is as a result of our cooperation as East African community,” Mwesigwa said. She urged the two countries to continue working together to promote sound fishing activities in Lake Victoria.
LEAVE A COMMENT
You must be logged in to post a comment.