This weekend marks the first time the South African government will host the G20 summit, but the event will be missing one of its key players: the United States.
Other notable absentees include leaders from China, Argentina, Russia, and Mexico.
On November 22 and 23, representatives from the G20 nations will convene in Johannesburg for this summit. It’s described as a key event within a wider array of G20-related activities.
President Trump announced that the U.S. would not participate, citing issues like persecution, killings, and land seizures affecting Afrikaners in South Africa. He expressed that it was “an utter disgrace” for South Africa to host the summit this year.
“As long as these human rights violations continue, U.S. officials will not be attending,” Trump mentioned in a post earlier this month.
In response to the U.S. absence, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters that it was “their loss” and remarked that boycotts don’t typically have much influence, suggesting that important decisions would still be made for various causes.
Despite Ramaphosa’s comments, international media have pointed out uncertainties regarding whether South Africa, which holds the G20 presidency, can formulate a joint statement after the meeting.
Among the other leaders not attending the G20 summit are Xi Jinping from China, Vladimir Putin from Russia, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, and Javier Milei from Argentina, all of whom are sending senior officials instead.
South Africa will maintain the rotating G20 Presidency until November 30, after which it moves to the U.S., who is currently boycotting the gathering. The U.S. will host the following year’s summit in Miami.
The theme for this year’s summit is “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability,” focusing particularly on debt relief and financing strategies to combat climate-related disasters. A key discussion topic will involve encouraging a fair energy transition.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously criticized the upcoming conference for being “anti-American,” asserting that his priority is to promote U.S. national interests over spending taxpayer money on what he sees as unhelpful forums.
South Africa is also expected to advocate for “further support” from wealthier nations and international financial bodies, echoing requests made at the recent COP30 climate conference in Brazil.
This G20 leaders’ summit begins just hours after the COP30 meeting concludes in Brazil on November 21.
The G20 comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, along with the European Union and the African Union.
