DIRCO oversight committee praises G20 Summit preparations

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo, said that the oversight committee has been very happy with how the country, as G20 president, has been carrying out preparations for the November summit.

Mahumapelo held a media briefing on Monday ahead of the Colloquium on the People’s Expectations of South Africa’s G20 Presidency: A Conversation with Non–State Actors, expected to take place virtually on Tuesday.

Through the Colloquium, the committee and the Southern African Liaison Office (SALO) seek to establish stakeholder expectations regarding South Africa's G20 presidency and the various engagement groups, including the Y20, C20, W20, T20, and B20.

A diverse range of stakeholders are set to be invited with an emphasis on ensuring representation from across all nine provinces and from a broad spectrum of sectors: civil society, including grassroots, faith-based, youth, women, and LGBTQI+ organisations and individuals, organised labour, the private sector, academia, and others.

The aim is to ensure inclusivity and that no one is left behind in the unfolding processes towards the G20 Summit.

Mahumapelo said the objective of the colloquium is to establish the people's expectations about South Africa's G20 presidency so that they can ensure inclusivity and that no one is left behind in this process.

“In line with the constitutional mandate, the portfolio committee conducts oversight on the implementation of South Africa's foreign policy, which is the core responsibility of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

“South Africa has assumed the G20 presidency, which will culminate in the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng. DIRCO has assumed the role of a Sherpa. A sherpa is actually, in some areas, the ones who drive the processes for hosting,” Mahumapelo said.

“The committee has an interest, therefore, in ensuring that South Africa hosts a successful G20 Summit. Which will leave a sustainable legacy and outcomes that benefit all the people of South Africa, and the African continent.”

Mahumapelo added that this year's summit is significant as it occurs only five years before the deadline of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, and that as the only African country in the group of 20, South Africa plays a critical role in representing not only its own economic priorities, but also those of the African continent.

“The G20 provides South Africa with a strategic advantage to advance for increased investments, fairer trade policies, and better financial support for developing nations in Africa, and the Global South.

“As an active member of the G20, South Africa advocates for policies that promote inclusive economic recovery, climate resilience and sustainable development. The department seeks to ensure that the consents of the Global South are adequately addressed within the global economic framework.

“Leaving no one behind is a core promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and serves as a moral and practical obligation for the G20 nations,” Mahumapelo said.

“The principle emphasises reaching the poorest, most vulnerable and those further behind, including specific groups such as women, girls and the disabled people. It calls for the implementation of inclusive, universal, and adaptive social protection systems, tailored to the national capabilities to support everyone.

“The G20 actively works to ensure domestic resources mobilisation and cap illicit financial flows as crucial means to finance initiatives that align with the leaving-no-one-behind principle.

“G20 groups' engagements will provide an opportunity for the masses of the people of South Africa to ensure their views and aspirations are not left behind,” he said.

“As a committee responsible for oversight, on behalf of Parliament, it's necessary to engage non-state actors to garner their views and provide them with an opportunity to share their perspectives on the preparations leading to the G20 summit under South Africa's presidency.”

Mahumapelo said that G20 engagement groups will make their own recommendations with the intention of influencing the outcomes document to be considered by the world leaders.

“As an oversight body, the committee seeks to ensure that both government and non-government stakeholders derive maximum benefit from the hosting of the G20 for the first time on African soil.

“In wrapping up, the committee feels that it will benefit from non-state actors, their insight, their eagerness, insofar as anticipation is concerned, in sharing possible areas of oversight, which can assist to strengthen the strategy in all activities leading to the G20 Summit, and beyond the summit itself.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za