Why G20 admitted the African Union as a permanent member
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) gestures with African Union Chairman and Comoros President Azali Assoumani ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on September 9, 2023.
The Group of 20 countries on Saturday admitted the African Union as a permanent member of the bloc that represents the biggest economies in the world.
It means the AU joins the European Union as the other continental grouping that forms part of the G20.
And according to the bloc, the move will help bring everyone on board the pursuit of common prosperity.
“We welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 and strongly believe that inclusion of the African Union into the G20 will significantly contribute to addressing the global challenges of our time. We commend the efforts of all G20 members which paved the way for accession of the African Union as a permanent member during India’s Presidency of the G20,” the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration reads.
“Africa plays an important role in the global economy. We commit to strengthen our ties with and support the African Union realise the aspirations under Agenda 2063.
“We also reiterate strong support to Africa, including through the G20 Compact with Africa and G20 Initiative on supporting industrialization in Africa and LDCs. We are supportive of further discussing the deepening of cooperation between the G20 and other regional partners.”
At full strength the African Union has 55 members, but six junta-ruled nations are currently suspended. Collectively it has a GDP of $3 trillion with some 1.4 billion people.
As the G20, the grouping included 19 countries and the European Union, representing 85 percent of the world GDP, with South Africa its only member state from the continent.
It was conceived in the throes of the 2008 financial crisis as a way of managing the global economy, but finding consensus among members has been increasingly difficult in recent years.
The AU membership could be among the most tangible outcomes from the summit itself, with the host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi trying to forge consensus on a host of contentious issues, and key G20 members deeply divided over Russia's war in Ukraine and how to pay for climate change.
- Additional reporting by AFP
