At the G20 summit currently held in New Delhi today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the African Union’s elevation to permanent membership within the group of the world’s wealthiest and most influential nations.
This status change grants the African Union, a continental organization consisting of 55 member states, equal standing with the European Union, making it the only regional bloc to hold full membership. Prior to this, the African Union held the status of an “invited international organization.”
In his opening address at the summit, Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to the African Union, represented by Chairperson Azali Assoumani, to take a permanent seat among the G20 leaders.
A draft declaration reviewed by Reuters earlier stated, “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.”
This historic decision was originally proposed by Prime Minister Modi in June and marks a significant milestone in the African Union’s global engagement.
Bloomberg earlier this week about the intention of the G20 to grant permanent membership to the Africa Union (AU)
Other issues to be discussed
Other key topics under consideration during the summit include increased loans to developing nations by multilateral institutions, the reform of international debt structures, regulations related to cryptocurrencies, and the influence of geopolitical events on food and energy security.
A 38-page draft document circulated among summit participants left the paragraph on the “geopolitical situation” blank, reflecting ongoing divisions related to the conflict in Ukraine. However, there was broad consensus on 75 other paragraphs covering issues such as cryptocurrencies and reforms in multilateral development banks.
About the G20
Previously, the G20 consisted of 19 individual countries and the European Union, collectively representing approximately 85% of global GDP, over 75% of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world’s population.
