By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa’s B20 Sherpa, Cas Coovadia, says they are working towards handing over to United States as they’re set to take over the G20 presidency.
Last year, Brazil’s B20 put a list of recommendations before President Lula da Silva, outlining key priorities for the G20 main stage.
SA’s B20 is doing the same and held recommendations handover event in Sandton.
The energy mix and just transition reports are part of eight reports, containing 30 recommendations in total, handed over to International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola.
The others deal with digital transformation, employment and education, finance and infrastructure, industrial transformation and innovation, integrity and compliance, sustainable food systems and agriculture, and trade and investment.
B20 South Africa plans to engage with governments, multilateral institutions and business leaders to build momentum around the recommendations.
“The recommendations we’re making is to say we need to look at financial structures to enable infrastructure development on the continent, and in other countries in the southern parts of the world that need this, said Coovadia.”
“This is Africa’s global moment,” Coovadia said. “We invite the world to engage with these recommendations, collaborate with us and join us in leading change.”
The G20 Summit is just over two months away, to be hosted in Johannesburg under the presidency of South Africa.
It takes place from 22-23 November, preceded by the B20 Summit from 18-20 November.
The B20 Summit brings together business representatives from the G20 countries, selected invited countries, and international organisations to discuss economic and business issues.
Lamola said the recommendations reflect that Africa can be ‘a leading voice in the world’ in energy, agriculture, digital innovation and industrialisation.
“The B20 recommendations lay a strong foundation for the G20 to cohere around Africa’s re-industrialisation in a way that benefits not only the global community but also future generations on the African continent itself, added Lamola.
This is our moment to rise to the occasion with confidence, clarity, and courage. It is a moment to prove that the Global South is not a problem to be solved but a partner to be trusted, said the minister.”