AU’s full integration in the G20 is part of an effort to give the African continent a stronger voice on issues such as climate change, energy transition, and the debt of developing countries.
Members of the Group of 20, which gathers the world’s largest economies, have reached an agreement to grant the African Union (AU) a permanent membership within the group. The news was unveiled Thursday by Bloomberg, which cited sources close to the matter.
Leaders of G20 member countries are expected to officially announce the decision during their Summit scheduled for September 9 and 10 in India, the same sources stated. Granting the AU a permanent seat is aimed at enabling the African continent to have a stronger voice on issues such as climate change, energy transition, and the debt of developing countries and emerging markets.
At the end of August, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his desire for the AU to become a full G20 member. “We have a vision of inclusion, and with this vision, we have invited the African Union to become a permanent member of the G20,” he said during a speech in New Delhi at the Business 20 (B20) summit. This comment comes a few months after similar announcements by U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The G20 is an international forum of the world's 20 largest and fastest-growing economies (19 countries plus the European Union). Its members represent around 80% of the global GDP, 60% of the world's population, and 75% of international trade. South Africa is currently the only permanent G20 member from the African continent.
• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...
In a West African financial landscape marked by tighter regulation of the fintech sector, digital fi...
• BOAD releases CFA10 billion ($17.8 million) to support Boungou and Wahgnion gold mines.• Burkina F...
Transport and food prices have been climbing steadily across Africa in recent years. In Côte d’Ivoir...
• Burkina Faso-based financial group, Vista Group Holding, has acquired a majority stake in Société ...
• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo • License award comes on stream as part of the...
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has authorized a $262.3 million disbursement for Ethiopia, taking total payments under Extended Credit...
• ECOWAS Bank funds 47.7-km stretch of strategic 700-km road project• Lagos-Calabar highway seen boosting regional trade and investment• Part of broader...
• IFAD initiates a program worth $358.26 million to bolster dairy sector in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda • The program, called DaIMA, aims...
The Gerewol tradition is a fascinating ritual celebrated by the Bororo Fulani, a nomadic community primarily located in Chad and Niger. This annual...
In northern Ethiopia, in the Tigray region, lies Axum (also spelled Aksum), an ancient city that once stood at the heart of one of Africa’s most powerful...