G20 Johannesburg Summit 2025 | 26 Nov 2025

Source:PIB

Why in News?

The 20^th G20 Summit 2025, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, became the first-ever G20 summit hosted on the African continent. Under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” the summit centred Global South priorities and secured the adoption of the G20 Johannesburg Leaders’ Declaration. 

What are the Key Highlights of the G20 Summit 2025?

• G20 Johannesburg Leaders’ Declaration: Member nations reached consensus on a 122-paragraph declaration including references to climate action, multilateral reform, and equitable global governance. 
  • Spirit of Ubuntu and Multilateralism: The declaration emphasises the African philosophy of Ubuntu (recognising shared global responsibility and interconnectedness).  
    • Leaders called for stronger multilateral cooperation to address conflicts, inequality, and humanitarian suffering. 
  • UN Security Council Reform: The declaration supports transforming the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities, calling for expanded representation for underrepresented regions such as Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. 
  • Condemnation of Terrorism: The declaration unequivocally condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations, reflecting India’s longstanding position. 
  • Expanded Climate Action Commitments: Members agreed to scale global climate finance toward a “billions-to-trillions” shift and operationalise a more equitable transition under the Paris Agreement. 
  • Empowerment of Women: The declaration stressed women’s empowerment, calling for removing barriers, ensuring equal participation in decision-making, and recognising women as agents of peace. 
• Debt Crisis and Global Financial Reform: A Cost of Capital Commission was launched to reform global credit rating practices and reduce the unfair “African risk premium.”  
  • The summit highlighted Africa’s growing debt burden (now at USD 1.8 trillion) with over half its population living in countries spending more on debt interest than on public services.  
• Mission 300: Summit highlighted Mission 300, an initiative led by the World Bank and African Development Bank to provide electricity to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.  
• Critical Minerals Framework: Welcomed G20 Critical Minerals Framework to secure sustainable value chains. Focus on investment in mineral exploration and local beneficiation in developing countries. 
• Youth & Gender Targets: Adopted Nelson Mandela Bay Target to reduce the rate of youth Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET)  by 5% by 2030. Committed to 25% gender parity in labour force participation by 2030. 
• Troika: The current G20 "troika" is Brazil (previous presidency), South Africa (current presidency), and the United States (next presidency).

What is G20, and Why It is Significant for Global Development?

• About: G20 was created after the Asian Financial Crisis (1997–98) as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to strengthen global financial stability. 
  • Gradually moved beyond macroeconomics to include trade, climate change, health, food security, energy transitions, and digital governance. 
• Upgraded to Leaders’ Level (2008–09): Elevated during the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08, recognising the need for coordination at the highest political level. 
  • Since 2009, annual G20 Leaders’ Summits have become the norm. 
• Composition: The G20 is an informal grouping of 19 major economies, along with the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). India is one of its founding members. Other countries can be invited as "special guests" on an ad hoc basis. 
  • Together, G20 members account for 85% of global GDP, over 75% of world trade, and nearly two-thirds of the global population. 
• Mandate: It serves as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, shaping global governance on issues such as growth, trade, financial stability, sustainable development, climate action, health, energy, agriculture, and anti-corruption. 
• Structure and Presidency: Unlike the UN, the G20 has no headquarters or permanent staff. The presidency rotates annually among members. 
  • Troika System ensures continuity through a three-country mechanism: Previous President – Current President – Incoming President 
  • For South Africa’s 2025 presidency, the troika includes Brazil, South Africa, and the United States. 

Significance of the G20

• Shapes Global Economic Governance: Sets norms on financial regulations, debt sustainability, global tax reforms, digital public infrastructure, and climate finance through initiatives like the G20 Common Framework, and Declaration on Digital Public Infrastructure, AI and Data for Governance ( a joint communiqué by the G20 Troika (India, Brazil and South Africa) ) 
• Drives Sustainable Development Agendas: Acts as a major platform to push the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by coordinating climate action, energy transitions, food security commitments, and progress on the Pact for the Future. 
• Enhances Voice of Global South: Provides emerging economies including India, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia greater influence in shaping global rules, especially on issues like supply chain resilience, critical minerals, development finance, and technology access. 
• Catalyst for Development Financing: Pushes for reform of multilateral financial institutions (IMF–World Bank), expansion of lending, and better representation through steps such as creating a 25th IMF Executive Board seat for Africa.

How is India Shaping the Global Development Agenda at the G20? 

• Countering the Drug-Terror Nexus: India highlighted drug trafficking (especially fentanyl) as a major global security threat and a key source of terrorism financing. 
  • India proposed a G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug-Terror Nexus focusing on financial tracking, border coordination and global enforcement. 
• Africa-Centric Development Vision: India emphasised that Africa must be at the centre of global development frameworks. 
  • India proposed the G20–Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative to train 1 million certified trainers across Africa in 10 years. 
• Leadership in Health, Knowledge & Space Cooperation: 
  • India proposed: 
    • G20 Global Healthcare Response Team for coordinated global health emergencies. 
    • Global Traditional Knowledge Repository to preserve and share indigenous medicinal knowledge. 
    • Open Satellite Data Partnership to share space-based data for agriculture, fisheries and disaster management. 
• Critical Minerals & Sustainable Transitions: India proposed a Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative to strengthen supply chains through recycling, urban mining, and innovation. 
  • India  called for democratic, transparent and diversified minerals supply chains, reducing dependency on a few countries. 
• Responsible, Inclusive & Secure AI Governance: India advocated a Global Compact on AI centred on Human oversight, Safety-by-design, Transparency, and Prohibition of AI misuse in deepfakes, cybercrime and terrorism 
  • India invited all countries to the AI Impact Summit 2026 in India. 
• Support for a Just, Equitable Global Order: India strongly backed UNSC reform to ensure representation for Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Reaffirmed India’s commitment to multilateralism and a global rules-based order.

Conclusion

The G20 Summit 2025 marked a pivotal moment for global governance, placing Africa and the wider Global South at the heart of multilateral priorities. The Johannesburg Declaration set the tone for a more equitable, secure, and sustainable world order.