G20 agrees to make African Union a permanent member, says PM Modi

The African Union on September 9, 2023, was formally admitted to the Group of 20 (G20), comprising the world's richest and most powerful countries, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his inaugural statement.

PM Modi announced Saturday that the Group of 20 top economic nations have agreed to add the African Union as a permanent member.

The AU has advocated for full membership for seven years. Adding the bloc of more than 50 countries serves as a powerful acknowledgment of the growing importance of Africa, as per AP report.


Also Read: This time for Africa! G20 agrees to make the African Union a permanent member

The European Union is already a permanent member of the G20 — the only other regional bloc with that status.

Leaders of many of the world's biggest economies prepared to huddle in the Indian capital for the Group of 20 summit Saturday, though growing global rifts and the absence of key players meant that reaching consensus on the thorniest issues could prove elusive.

At least a fifth of G20 heads were not in New Delhi. The leaders of Russia and China opted not to come, ensuring no tough face-to-face conversations with their American and European counterparts over multiple disputes, most acutely the war in Ukraine. Spain's president couldn't make it due to COVID-19, and Mexico's president decided to miss it, too.

Host India hoped the proceedings would not be overshadowed by the European war. It wanted to devote more attention to addressing the needs of the developing world — though it is impossible to decouple many issues, such as food and energy security, from the Ukraine conflict.

PM Modi has made giving voice to the Global South a centerpiece of this year's summit.

While that may well get broad support, a series of preparatory meetings leading to this weekend's meeting failed to produce agreements due to increasingly fractious rifts among the world's global powers, largely due to differences over Ukraine. Ending the summit without such a statement would underscore how strained relations have become and tarnish the image Modi has tried to cultivate of India as a global problem solver.

Participants arriving in the Indian capital were greeted by streets cleared of traffic, and graced with fresh flowers and seemingly endless posters featuring slogans and Modi's face. Security was intensely tight, with most journalists and the public kept far from the summit venue.

Countries are also expected to address reforming development banks like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to help make funds more accessible for lower- and middle-income countries as they seek solutions to combat climate change, among other things.

India's lead G20 negotiator, Amitabh Kant, told reporters that boosting climate action and climate financing were key priorities, particularly for developing and emerging markets.

(With inputs from AP)