Africa pushes for structural reforms to transform G20 membership into real influence
We must shape rules on equitable financing, debt relief, and climate adaptation;
Africa’s seat at the G20 must go beyond symbolism to drive meaningful reforms in global financial governance, according to the African Union’s G20 Report and a new AfriCatalyst policy brief titled “Maximising Africa’s Influence in the G20.”
AfriCatalyst, in partnership with Global Health Strategies (GHS), unveiled the report at a high-level Virtual Media Roundtable on “Shifting Africa’s Role at the G20: From Symbolic Presence to Strategic Influence”:
Supreme news reports that while AfriCatalyst is an advisory firm advancing Africa’s role in global financial governance, GHS is a policy advocacy organisation.
Supreme news reports that the event coincided with South Africa’s ongoing G20 presidency and rising demands for an overhaul of global systems that constrain Africa’s development.
The theme of the Session was, “Shifting Africa’s Role at the G20: From Symbolic Presence to Strategic Influence.”
The session highlighted several recommendations, including the creation of a permanent G20 Secretariat, stronger Sherpa coordination, closer alignment between finance and Sherpa tracks, and the prioritisation of African-led proposals on debt, climate, health, and digital governance.
Dr Hamady Diop, Senior Advisor to the AU Special Envoy on Food Systems, noted that while Africa now had a permanent seat at the G20, “the real task is turning presence into power.
“We must shape rules on equitable financing, debt relief, and climate adaptation,” Diop said.
Other experts, including Ms Mma Amara Ekeruche of the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, and Alvin Tofler Munyasia, Climate Fellow with AGNES, lent their voices.
Both noted that Africa’s voice in the G20 must prioritise fairer distribution of Special Drawing Rights, investment in interoperable digital infrastructure, and stronger global partnerships to tackle climate instability.
The reports said that Africa’s G20 membership offered a unique opportunity to shift global power dynamics and ensure that the continent’s priorities were reflected in international decision-making.
Supreme news reports that AfriCatalyst and GHS pledged continued support for African policymakers in building a just and inclusive global financial system