The United States has made clear it will oppose any G20 deliverable beyond a Chair’s Statement at the upcoming Johannesburg Summit, dimming prospects for a consensus leaders' declaration. This stance, coupled with absences from key leaders including Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, and others, threatens to weaken the event's outcomes. The summit, set for 22-23 November at Nasrec, marks Africa's first time hosting the forum.
The South African G20 Summit, scheduled for 22-23 November 2025 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec, faces significant challenges to producing a traditional Leaders’ Declaration. The United States sent a clarifying note through G20 sherpas stating it will oppose anything beyond a Chair’s Statement, as one sherpa informed other countries. This position, articulated over the weekend, has considerably dimmed the already fading prospects for a full consensus document, potentially making this the first summit since 2008 without one.
President Donald Trump announced that no US government official will attend, a move echoed by Argentine President Javier Milei, who will send Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno instead. Other notable absentees include Chinese President Xi Jinping (represented by Premier Li Qiang), Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, and Russian President Vladimir Putin (sending Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin). A G20 diplomat indicated the summit is likely to conclude with a Chair’s Statement highlighting agreements reached by consensus on specific issues.
South Africa’s G20 sherpa, Director-General Zane Dangor, is chairing a meeting this week of sherpas from member and guest countries to address these matters. John Kirton, director of the G20 Research Group at the University of Toronto, described a Chair’s Statement as a 'major retreat,' especially without prior agreement from all members. He predicted historically low compliance with commitments due to absent leaders and warned of reduced global attention and influence.
Civil society groups, through the We the 99 movement and Civil 20, launched a People’s Summit from 20-22 November to counter the G20, demanding priorities like climate justice, debt relief, and taxing billionaires. An Inequality Commission report noted 83% of countries face high wealth inequality, affecting 90% of the global population. Organizers like Mazibuko Jara emphasized fair taxation to address stark disparities, while Sekoetlane Phamodi highlighted Africa's $685.5-billion external debt in 2023.
Professor Jayati Ghosh, a member of the G20 Extraordinary Committee on Global Inequality chaired by Joseph Stiglitz, warned that the incoming US presidency in 2026 could further diminish the G20 by narrowing its focus, potentially rendering it irrelevant to broader global concerns.