In a historic move, the African Union (AU) has been granted a permanent membership in the G20, the group of the world’s 20 major economies. The decision was announced at the end of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, where leaders of the AU and the G20 discussed issues such as climate change, trade, health and security.
The G20’s president, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially welcomed the African Union (AU) into the G20 as a permanent member during the G20 Summit held in New Delhi.
“Honoured to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 Family. This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South,” Prime Minister Modi stated during his remarks at the summit.
The AU, which represents 55 African countries, has been participating in the G20 as a guest since 2010, but has been lobbying for a full membership to have a greater voice and influence in global affairs.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union (AU), expressed his enthusiastic welcome for the African Union’s entry into the G20 as a full member. He emphasized that this membership, which the AU has long advocated for, offers a promising platform to bolster advocacy efforts on behalf of the African continent and enhance its substantial contribution to addressing global challenges.
The G20’s president, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that the inclusion of the AU would “strengthen the diversity and representativeness” of the G20 and “enhance its capacity to address the common challenges of humanity”. He added that the AU’s membership would also boost the cooperation between Africa and Asia, especially in areas such as infrastructure, energy, digital economy and innovation.
The AU’s membership in the G20 is expected to have significant implications for both Africa and the world. For Africa, it means more opportunities to access finance, technology, markets and partnerships that can help accelerate its development and integration. For the world, it means more perspectives and inputs from Africa on key global issues that affect everyone, such as peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and democracy.
The AU’s membership in the G20 will take effect from January 1, 2024. The next G20 summit will be held in Rome, Italy, in October 2024. The AU will also host its first G20 summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2025.
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