South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined his vision for leading the Group of 20 major economies in 2025, calling this a moment to "harness" abundant natural resources and new technologies.
In a special address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, Ramaphosa invoked Nelson Mandela's speech before the same venue in the Swiss Alps in 1992 at which he emphasized humanity's interdependence and the need to work together for a greater good.
"In pursuit of this objective – and in giving effect to the mission of the G-20 – South Africa will focus its G-20 presidency on three themes: solidarity, equality and sustainable development," Ramaphosa said as leader of the first African country to hold the presidency of the powerful G-20 forum.
"It is South Africa’s firm view that these themes can best be taken forward through the collective actions of institutions like the G-20 and various multilateral institutions of the world, especially the United Nations, the WTO and global financial institutions which should be reformed and be more representative and responsive to the needs of the citizens of the world."
Ramaphosa, whose nation also is a leader in science diplomacy, pointed to the need to confront 21st century challenges ranging "from climate change to pandemics, from poverty to terrorism, from migration to artificial intelligence."
Some key leaders from China, Europe, and India avoided this year's annual gathering of power brokers and other elites in Davos, where newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump plans to remotely address participants on Thursday.
From the 'impulse for cooperation' to science diplomacy
The ideological divide between the globalists taking over Davos and the right-wing populists taking over Washington is bridged in part by a shared preponderance of executives in leading AI-assisted technology and science ventures. Ramaphosa pointed to a need to unite the rest of the world.
"This is a time of rising geopolitical tensions, unilateralism, nationalism, protectionism, isolationism, rising debt levels affecting poor countries in the world and a declining sense of common purpose," the South African president said.
In 2022, South Africa launched the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa initiative, promoting the continent's role in shaping future scientific and technological agendas. Interest in the linkages between science, technology and diplomacy – and their usefulness to decision-makers in government and business – has spread around the continent.
The G-20, which includes 19 countries plus the African Union and European Union, represents 85% of global economic output.
The 19 member nations are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States.
"This is a moment of great significance for South Africa, the African continent and the world, in that it was in Africa where humans developed the capacity and the impulse for cooperation," Ramaphosa said.
"We should harness the abundant resources we collectively possess and the remarkable technologies that human ingenuity has produced to overcome poverty and inequality, unemployment, especially youth unemployment, and the abuse of women, once and for all."
