The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation and the Southern African Liaison Office (SALO) held a successful virtual colloquium on the people’s expectations for South Africa’s G20 Presidency: a conversation with non-state actors.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the opportunity presented by the committee and SALO to make contributions on the matter, as presented by the colloquium, which would then be conveyed to a very high-level G20 meeting. They said the colloquium was a rare opportunity to participate in international trade relations for their country.
The G20 engagement groups highlighted the need for an all-inclusive South African G20 Presidency based on the voices of ordinary South African citizens, which will find expression in the G20 Summit outcome document. Participants said it is important to ensure the work done by the G20 engagement groups makes an impact both before and during the summit. Most importantly, implementation must go beyond the G20 leaders’ meeting.
The group representing the interests of the youth sector asked for their recommendations to be addressed by the South African government. Participants said that the G20 is regarded as an elitist grouping that risks leaving other sectors of society behind. They also noted that gender equality is a human right and needs to be streamlined into all the G20 processes. The SADC region and the continent must prioritise gender issues and decisively deal with elements of gender-based violence, they advised.
The G20 Task Team should also consider including the marginalised and vulnerable groups such as the Khoi and the San in its task team.
Further, a group representing the interests of the disabled raised its concern that the Department of International Relations and Cooperation has not been responsive to the processes needed for this sector to be part of the G20.
The group representing the interests of rural youth expressed their concerns that they are being left out, especially those in the mining communities. They also said that they do not understand what is implied by a “Just Energy Transition”, because information does not reach them.
The Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, committed to ensuring that all inputs received during the colloquium will be sent to the relevant G20 groups. He further indicated that going forward the committee will ensure that more such colloquiums are held on various topics of relevance to South Africa’s geopolitics to ensure that the committee leaves no one behind.
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