G20 Leaders Convene in South Africa Without US as Draft Declaration Sparks Tensions.
Leaders of the world’s 20 major economies met in Johannesburg on Saturday for a G20 summit marked by a US boycott, after host country South Africa and other members drafted a leaders’ declaration without American input — a move a senior White House official called “shameful.”
According to multiple diplomatic sources, G20 negotiators reached agreement on a draft declaration ahead of the summit, with key sections focused on climate change. The draft was prepared without seeking consensus from Washington, which had objected to any mention of climate issues. One source confirmed that the document includes climate references despite the Trump administration’s opposition and repeated questioning of the scientific consensus on human-driven global warming.
President Donald Trump decided to skip the summit, basing the boycott on unsubstantiated claims that South Africa’s Black-majority government discriminates against white citizens. The White House has also opposed the host nation’s agenda, which emphasises support for climate-vulnerable countries, green-energy transition, and relief from high debt costs for developing economies.
The boycott complicated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plans to highlight South Africa’s role in strengthening multilateral cooperation. However, some analysts say the absence of the US could allow other members to build broader consensus around the summit’s climate-driven agenda.
It remains unclear what compromises were made to secure backing for the draft text, as several nations typically resist strong language on climate and renewable energy.
South Africa’s top four priorities for its G20 presidency include:
- Preparing for climate-induced natural disasters
- Mobilising financing for green-energy transitions
- Ensuring that the scramble for critical minerals benefits producer countries
- Reforming global lending systems to offer fairer borrowing terms for poorer nations
The United States is set to host the G20 in 2026, but with President Trump’s boycott, Ramaphosa noted he would symbolically hand over the presidency to an “empty chair.” South Africa also rejected a US proposal to send its chargé d’affaires to accept the handover on Washington’s behalf.
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