Story by Vivian Bangamu
THE President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has handed over the presidency of the Group of 20 to his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa at the closing session of the G20 summit this Tuesday.
South Africa will assume the G20 Presidency on the first of December and will host the summit next year.
President Lula da Silva says with all the members of the G20 having held the presidency at least once, it is a good time to evaluate the role the group has played so far.
The G20 issued a joint declaration calling for a global pact to combat hunger, increase aid in Gaza as well as end war in Ukraine.
It has also called for a future global tax on billionaires and reforms allowing the eventual expansion of the U.N. Security Council beyond its five permanent members.
Meanwhile, South Africa is expected to focus on African priorities, such as economic development, climate change, health and digital transformation.
According to Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, these expectations are reflected in the official theme for next year’s summit, which is, ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’.
