By Thapelo Molefe
President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised the importance of international cooperation to tackle pressing global challenges in his weekly letter to the nation on Monday.
Reflecting on his recent participation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ramaphosa highlighted the country’s priorities as it assumes the G20 Presidency for 2025.
This year’s WEF gathering brought together thousands of leaders from governments, businesses and other sectors to address the state of the global economy.
The South African delegation, led by Ramaphosa, presented a hopeful narrative, portraying the country as a stable democracy with bold ambitions to address energy challenges and drive global inclusivity.
In a keynote plenary address and discussions with global business leaders, Ramaphosa outlined SA’s G20 theme, “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainable Development”. Under this theme, the delegation proposed key focus areas designed to address pressing issues such as global inequality, climate change and inclusive economic growth.
SA’s G20 Presidency is centred on several key priorities aimed at fostering global equity and sustainability.
Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of debt sustainability for low-income countries, advocating for debt relief to enable these nations to invest in critical infrastructure, industrial development, education and healthcare.
The delegation also highlighted the need to mobilise financing for a just energy transition, ensuring that developing economies could adopt low-carbon pathways while addressing poverty and protecting affected workers and communities.
Additionally, SA proposed a framework for special financing and insurance to assist vulnerable nations in recovering and rebuilding after climate-related disasters.
Lastly, the country championed a G20 framework on “green” industrialisation, stressing the equitable utilisation of critical minerals abundant in the Global South for renewable energy technologies to drive inclusive economic growth.
The president underscored that cooperation was central to addressing shared global threats like climate change, pandemics and geopolitical conflicts. He stressed that no nation could achieve sustainable development or economic stability in isolation.
According to Ramaphosa, SA’s message of solidarity and multilateralism resonated strongly with business leaders, heads of state and representatives of multilateral institutions.
Many praised the country’s focus on Africa and the Global South, acknowledging the importance of reducing inequalities and pursuing sustainable development.
“There is growing recognition that the solutions to global challenges must be inclusive,” Ramaphosa said, adding that the interconnected nature of today’s world made collaboration more critical than ever.
Participants in Davos expressed optimism about SA’s economic prospects, noting progress in key areas such as energy reforms, logistics telecommunications and water infrastructure.
The peaceful transition to the 7th administration and the formation of the Government of National Unity were highlighted as signs of political stability and a commitment to inclusive growth.
As South Africa leads the G20 this year, Ramaphosa’s vision of solidarity and cooperation aims to build a more equitable global community.
“The South African delegation left Davos with a sense of shared commitment among world leaders to work towards an inclusive, just and equal world,” he concluded.
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