During the recent G20 summit held in India, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the African Union (AU)’s accession as a permanent member. This makes the AU the second regional block to attain permanent status in the G20 following the European Union.
Over the past seven years, the African Union has steadfastly pursued full G20 membership, a stance consistently made known by spokesperson Ebba Kalondo. Before this development, South Africa was the only AU country within the G20. The African Union includes 55 member states, six of which are currently under suspension due to coup-related incidents. Collectively, the African Union represents nearly $3 trillion in GDP and a population of approximately 1.4 billion people. The G20 represents a significant portion of the world’s economy, consisting of 19 countries and the European Union, collectively contributing to 85 per cent of the world’s GDP, as detailed on the World Economics website.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of the AU Commission, stated in a tweet that the AU’s new role in the G20 offers a “propitious framework for amplifying advocacy in favour of the Continent and its effective contribution to meeting global challenges.” The Nigerian President, attending the summit as a special invitee, looked ahead to “further advancing our global aspirations through the G20 platform.”
Established in 1999 in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, the G20 was initially a forum for finance ministers and central bankers from twenty of the world’s largest established and emerging economies. In the throes of the global economic crisis a decade later, heads of state and government were also incorporated into the G20 structure.
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