G20 envoys agree draft declaration despite US boycott, sources say

WHITE HOUSE CALLS DRAFT DECLARATION ‘SHAMEFUL’

“It is a longstanding G20 tradition to issue only consensus deliverables, and it is shameful that the South African government is now trying to depart from this standard practice despite our repeated objections,” a senior Trump administration official said.

While fearing that a loss of participation from its most powerful member would scupper a declaration at the G20, some analysts still saw an opportunity for the South African hosts, determined to set an agenda for global leaders in the face of Trump’s hostility to multilateral diplomacy.

The sources declined to detail the declaration’s contents, and it was not clear what concessions had to be made on the language to get everyone to agree.

Three out of four of South Africa’s planned top agenda items – preparing for climate-induced weather disasters, financing the transition to green energy, and ensuring the rush for critical minerals benefits producers – were largely about climate change.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that South Africa was in discussions with the United States, which will host the G20 in 2026, over its possible participation in the summit after all, although the White House later denied this.

Ramaphosa had earlier said he was resigned to handing over to an “empty chair”. The White House on Thursday said it would send the US charge d’affaires for the G20 handover, an offer which South Africa’s presidency rejected.