The G20 Johannesburg Summit

On November 22-23, 2025, leaders from Group of 20 (G20) nations met in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking the first time an African nation has hosted the summit of the multinational grouping. Held under the theme 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability', this gathering of the world's major economies marked a turning point in the history of global economic governance. For the first time since the forum's inaugural meeting of leaders in 2008, the United States not only failed to shape the agenda but also chose to boycott the entire process. The successful holding of the summit and the adoption of a joint declaration committing to "multilateral cooperation" offer a fragile and preliminary glimpse of what global governance might look like without US leadership. The world has not entered a full 'after hegemony' system, but it has experienced its first mini rehearsal.

South Africa became the venue of this year's Group of Twenty (G20) Summit, where 19 countries and 2 regional organizations gathered with a focus on helping developing economies adapt to the climate crisis, transition to clean energy and cut excessive debt and to discuss the issues of global governance.