South Africa hosts historic G20 summit with a notable absence and ambitious agenda.
The first ever G20 summit in South African soil kicked off on Saturday, marking the absence of one of its founding members: the United States. US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute boycott of the two-day event, citing diplomatic differences and disagreements over global trade policies.
As the world's largest economy stays away, the summit now stands at the center of several pressing international issues. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions as Mr. Trump has proposed a unilateral resolution to bring an end to the war. Meanwhile, climate negotiations at COP30 in Brazil are another major concern.
While Africa has made significant strides in recent years, hosting this high-profile event serves as a test of its growing influence on the global stage. The summit's agenda is ambitious, with discussions centered around sustainable development, trade, and economic growth.
The absence of the US, which typically plays a dominant role in shaping global agendas, presents an opportunity for emerging economies to take center stage. However, questions remain over how effectively these countries can address pressing issues such as climate change and global trade tensions.
The first ever G20 summit in South African soil kicked off on Saturday, marking the absence of one of its founding members: the United States. US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute boycott of the two-day event, citing diplomatic differences and disagreements over global trade policies.
As the world's largest economy stays away, the summit now stands at the center of several pressing international issues. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions as Mr. Trump has proposed a unilateral resolution to bring an end to the war. Meanwhile, climate negotiations at COP30 in Brazil are another major concern.
While Africa has made significant strides in recent years, hosting this high-profile event serves as a test of its growing influence on the global stage. The summit's agenda is ambitious, with discussions centered around sustainable development, trade, and economic growth.
The absence of the US, which typically plays a dominant role in shaping global agendas, presents an opportunity for emerging economies to take center stage. However, questions remain over how effectively these countries can address pressing issues such as climate change and global trade tensions.
is this really happening? Like, the US is actually skipping the G20 summit in SA? Can't even make it 
... but on a more serious note, I'm kinda curious to see how Africa's gonna hold its own with all these big players absent. It's like, they got this one shot to show off their economic growth and sustainable development chops 
... fingers crossed they don't mess it up 
... also, unilateral resolution for Ukraine? sounds like a recipe for disaster 
... hoping the climate talks in Brazil don't turn into another UN mess 
. I think it's a great chance for other countries to step up and show their leadership on some of the big issues we're facing, like climate change. It's also interesting to see how Africa is going to hold its own on the global stage - they've made so much progress in recent years, it'll be awesome to see them tackle these big problems 
. We need more cooperation and diplomacy on that one. And I hope the other countries at this summit can have some real discussions about how we're going to address climate change and trade tensions... it's time for some bold solutions! 
Trump is ghosted by the G20 
Meanwhile, Africa gets to be the cool kid on the block for a hot second 
COP30 is like that one aunt who always talks about climate change but never actually does anything 
Can the rest of the world please just get along? 
Sustainable development is like trying to fold a fitted sheet – it's hard, but someone's gotta do it 
and the food is SO good! have you tried bobotie? anyway back to this g20 summit... i'm kinda surprised usa is not there 
but like how can we expect other countries to step up without them? it's kinda like when your friend forgets their own birthday party lol. climate change is super important tho and i hope they can come up with some good solutions 
South Africa's G20 summit is defo making waves with the US not attending 
. The thing is, with the US not there, other countries get to take the lead and show us what they can do 
.
anyway im so proud of south africa for hosting this historic summit 
your country is killing it right now 
... will south africa be able to hold its own as the host country? 
. But let's hope they don't just copy-paste existing solutions without adding anything new 
. I wonder what the other countries that are attending think about us missing out 
. But at the same time, I'm a bit worried about how they're gonna tackle climate change and global trade tensions without the US being there to help guide things. Fingers crossed that Africa can step up and show the world what they're capable of!