Ramaphosa calls for cooperation solving global problems

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for cooperation in solving global problems at the G20 summit of leading industrialised and emerging economies.

These include escalating geopolitical tensions, global warming, energy security and armed conflicts, Ramaphosa said in his opening speech Saturday at the two-day meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ramaphosa also denounced the gap between rich and poor countries as one of the biggest obstacles to sustainable growth.

He called disparities in wealth and development within and between countries “unjust and unsustainable.”

“It is essential that we break down divisions of economic status, gender, race and geography,” Ramaphosa asserted.

As host of the G20 summit, South Africa has set the themes of “solidarity, equality and sustainability.”

Topics of concern that Ramaphosa outlined included easing the debt burden of emerging and developing countries, a just energy transition, fair and clean use of rare minerals, fair burden-sharing in climate protection and food security.

However, the new US push for peace in Ukraine is likely to push these issues into the background at the G20 summit.

The G20 group comprises 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union. The meeting in Johannesburg is the first G20 summit on the African continent.