Global leaders convened in South Africa this weekend for a G20 summit that highlighted both the challenges and necessity of international cooperation in an increasingly divided world. The gathering, notably boycotted by the United States, became a platform for urgent discussions about the future of multilateralism amid rising geopolitical tensions.
A Summit of Significance and Absence
The weekend meeting marked the first G20 summit ever hosted in Africa, bringing together dozens of leaders from major economies including China, India, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Australia, and European nations. However, the absence of the United States cast a long shadow over proceedings, with the Trump administration explicitly rejecting the event over policy disagreements with host South Africa.
U.S. officials justified their boycott by claiming South Africa's priorities—particularly regarding trade cooperation and climate action—conflicted with American policies. The administration has been retreating from multilateral forums while implementing sweeping tariffs and reversing climate commitments. The situation was further complicated by unfounded accusations from Trump officials about a "white genocide" occurring in South Africa.
Carney's Warning Against Nostalgic Thinking
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a stark assessment before the summit's crucial session, telling journalists that the world faces not a transition but a rupture. "Too many countries are retreating into geopolitical blocs or the battlegrounds of protectionism," Carney warned, emphasizing the urgent need for constructive engagement.
The prime minister's most memorable phrase came as both warning and call to action: "In every rupture resides the responsibility to build—nostalgia is not a strategy." This statement underscored the summit's central challenge—adapting international cooperation mechanisms to a rapidly changing global landscape rather than clinging to outdated approaches.
Multilateralism Under Pressure
Sunday's discussions began with leaders grappling with how to maintain the G20's relevance in what the joint statement described as "a fragmenting world." The final declaration, issued Saturday despite American objections to any G20-branded statement, acknowledged the difficult context of "rising geopolitical and geo-economic competition and instability, heightened conflicts and wars, deepening inequality, increasing global economic uncertainty and fragmentation."
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the challenges but insisted "the G20 underscores the value and relevance of multilateralism." The U.K.-based charity Oxfam praised South Africa's diplomatic efforts, noting the host nation "set an example to the world in ensuring the G20 stood firm and collectively agreed on a leader's declaration—defending multilateralism—despite powerful opposition."
Nevertheless, French President Emmanuel Macron offered a more sobering perspective, suggesting that "the G20 may be coming to the end of a cycle" and needed to refocus on strategic economic priorities given the difficulties in finding common approaches to global conflicts.
The summit concluded with leaders recognizing both the fragility and necessity of international cooperation mechanisms in an era marked by protectionist tendencies and shifting power dynamics. As global challenges from climate change to economic instability require coordinated responses, the G20's struggle to maintain unity reflects broader tensions in the international system.
