Johannesburg.. G20 Leaders Adopt Final Statement Despite Washington's Objection

The presidency of South Africa announced on Saturday that G20 leaders have adopted the final statement of the Johannesburg summit, despite objections from the United States. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stated during a press conference that the final statement of the G20 leaders was adopted during the summit held on Saturday and Sunday. Magwenya added, "We were moving step by step towards consensus adoption, and now we have an adopted final statement for the summit." He noted a slight change in the agenda, as the adoption process usually occurs at the end, but throughout Friday, during various bilateral meetings, there was a sense of the need to adopt the final statement as the first item on the agenda before moving on to the rest of the day's work. He clarified that the statement focuses on peaceful solutions to global conflicts, particularly highlighting the four most serious conflicts in the world: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Ukraine, and Palestine. According to Anadolu Agency's correspondent, the final statement of the summit emphasized the necessity of ending global conflicts, increasing climate-related financing, and placing development priorities in Africa at the heart of the global agenda. Palestine was mentioned in the statement for the first time in the G20 within a single sentence alongside other conflicts. The statement read: "We will continue to work for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace to end conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the occupied Palestinian territories, Ukraine, and other conflicts around the world." The statement indicated that all countries must respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty under the United Nations Charter, affirming that the use of force to seize land is inconsistent with international law. It reiterated the goals of the Paris Agreement in combating climate change, stressing the need for a rapid increase in global investments to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It pointed out that developing countries need between $5.8 and $5.9 trillion to achieve their climate goals before 2030. The statement also included enhancing international support for climate adaptation efforts and financing for loss and damage, as well as strengthening early warning systems in developing countries. It highlighted Africa's special situation in the global energy transition, noting that over 600 million people on the continent lack electricity, and more than a billion people are deprived of clean cooking fuel. It noted that the lack of clean cooking solutions causes the deaths of two million Africans annually. Regarding strategic minerals, the statement emphasized their importance in sustainable development and confirmed that producing countries should not limit themselves to exporting them as raw materials but should process them within their territories to provide added value. In the food security section, the statement mentioned that 720 million people suffer from hunger worldwide, and 2.6 billion people cannot access healthy food. It firmly rejected the use of starvation as a method of warfare. G20 leaders in the final statement reaffirmed their commitment to achieving "inclusive" and "sustainable" economic development, empowering women and girls at all levels, ensuring energy security, and securing food for all. On Friday, South African media reported that the Trump administration exerted diplomatic pressure on the Pretoria government not to issue a joint final statement at the end of the summit. On Thursday, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt announced during a press conference that the United States would not participate in the G20 leaders' summit. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would not attend the summit, justifying this by the presence of "violent events targeting whites" in South Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously denied allegations of violence against whites, asserting that the decision to boycott the summit would be a loss for the United States. According to information confirmed by diplomatic sources to Anadolu, the U.S. administration informed the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation in a message that the acting U.S. ambassador in Pretoria, Mark D. Dillard, would lead a small delegation to attend the handover ceremony. In contrast, the South African presidency announced that Ramaphosa would not hold the G20 presidency handover ceremony if the United States participated in the summit at the level of an acting ambassador. It is worth noting that due to the absence of a U.S. ambassador currently in Pretoria, the U.S. mission there is managed at the level of an acting ambassador. South Africa is expected to officially hand over the G20 presidency to the United States during the closing session of the summit on Sunday. The G20 is a forum for 20 members representing the largest economies in the world, established in 1999 following the economic crises of the late 1990s, with 20 members representing about 60 percent of the world's population and an estimated 85 percent of its total economy. The group includes 20 members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.