G20 Leaders Adopt Joint Declaration in Historic Johannesburg Summit

The Group of Twenty (G20) leaders concluded their summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 23, 2025, with the adoption of a comprehensive joint declaration. The summit, held from November 22-23, 2025, at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, marked a significant milestone as the first G20 gathering to take place on African soil. The declaration addressed a range of pressing global challenges, reflecting South Africa's presidency theme of 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability'.

Historic Summit on African Soil

The 2025 G20 Johannesburg Summit was a landmark event, being the first time the prestigious forum convened on the African continent. South Africa assumed the G20 presidency from December 1, 2024, to November 30, 2025, with a stated focus on development issues affecting Africa and other Global South countries. The summit aimed to ensure that the voices and interests of the Global South would not only be heard but would actively shape the global agenda. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa highlighted the importance of addressing global inequalities during his country's presidency.

Key Pillars of the Declaration

The 122-point declaration, a 30-page document, outlined commitments across several critical areas:

• Critical Minerals: Leaders pledged to protect the global value chain of critical minerals from disruption and supported increased exploration, particularly in developing countries, to drive development rather than just raw material exports.
• Climate Change: The declaration emphasized measures to cope with climate change, including promoting the development of early warning systems for climate-linked disasters and supporting countries disproportionately impacted.
• Debt Sustainability: Efforts to reform international financial systems and ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries were highlighted, with calls for more transparency from lenders and a review of the International Monetary Fund.
• Global Peace and Security: The declaration called for a 'just, comprehensive, and lasting peace' in major global conflict zones, including Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the 'Occupied Palestinian Territory', based on the UN Charter.
• Development Priorities: The declaration incorporated priorities from India's 2023 G20 presidency, such as establishing a 'Global Traditional Knowledge Repository', a 'G20-Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative', a 'G20 Global Healthcare Response Team', and an initiative on 'Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus'.
• Combating Terrorism: The leaders condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and backed the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

Russia's Representation and Global Tensions

The Russian Federation's delegation at the summit was led by Maxim Oreshkin, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office. Oreshkin arrived in South Africa on November 20, 2025, ahead of the main event. President Vladimir Putin did not attend the summit in person, a decision attributed to an outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant issued in March 2023 over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Despite the absence of some heads of state, including initial reports of a US boycott which later saw a reversal, the G20 leaders successfully adopted the joint declaration, underscoring a commitment to multilateral cooperation amidst ongoing global tensions.