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Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) submitted a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa outlining our list of key proposals on South Africa’s approach to its hosting of the G20 Summit as our country prepares to assume the G20 Presidency on Sunday, 1 December 2024. This submission includes some of the DA’s desired outcomes for South Africa’s G20 Presidency to ensure that we achieve maximum benefit from this window of immense international opportunity for all South African citizens.

Primarily, the DA has called for the re-establishment of the G20 Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), which now comprises DA ministers Steenhuisen, Gwarube, Malatsi, and George, to serve as South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) foreign policy engine room. Our G20 Summit is South Africa’s very first step into the international arena as a state under the direction of a plurality of parties and voices, and this more holistic representation of South African society within our national government must now reflect in our international engagements.

As the IMC undertakes to provide policy guidance and recommendations to cabinet regarding the substantive and logistical preparations of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, this committee must also serve as the platform where the GNU foreign policy can be developed and ratified in conjunction with our G20 theme, using the constitution and the GNU statement of intent as its policy compasses.

We as the DA advocate for a foreign policy that is both principled in its adherence to, and promotion of, the South African constitution while being pragmatic in its pursuit of international trade and cooperation, which are in our country’s national interest. This must be undertaken in a manner that is cognisant of South Africa’s role as a regional power, a representative of both the global south and developing nations, and a crucial interlocutor between Africa and the world.

Some of our key proposals are outlined in the following themes:

Economic Recovery and Resilience

Energy Reform and Sustainability

Trade and Investment

Food Security and Hunger

Technology, Innovation and the T20

African Democracy and Governance

Democratic Oversight and the P20

The DA has also called for increased private sector involvement and expertise in South Africa’s G20 Summit, especially within the Think 20 (T20) and sector-specific Sherpa Track engagements, to specifically address the dire need for the reform of South Africa’s public healthcare and education systems. This must also include the leveraging of international best-practice models from both G20 developed, and developing nations, to assist in the reform of South Africa’s education and healthcare systems to enhance the roll out and quality of these crucial public services.

South Africa’s G20 Presidency is an exciting international opportunity for our country to not only demonstrate our pride as one of the most multi-cultural and multi-ethnic democracies in the world, but as a serious global player representing the needs of African nations and the developing world at large. Under the GNU, South Africa must also ensure that its G20 Presidency focuses on achieving the Statement of Intent’s Basic Minimum Programme of Priorities to create a more united, inclusive, and open South African society and economy.

The DA is looking forward to South Africa’s G20 Presidency, and we will help ensure that this momentous opportunity is leveraged to South Africa and Africa’s maximum benefit. We are aware that the needs of South Africa’s G20 presidency will evolve throughout 2025; however, we trust that South Africa will always approach its G20 engagements in the spirit of the GNU and in the best interests of South Africa and the developing world. We look forward to participating in this exciting year for our country.

Issued by Ryan Smith MP - DA Deputy Spokesperson on International Relations & Cooperation