Leaders adopt a declaration at G20 summit despite US opposition

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/leaders-adopt-declaration-g20-summit-despite-us-opposition

WORLD leaders from the Group of 20 rich and developing economies broke with tradition and adopted a declaration at the start of their summit in South Africa on Saturday despite opposition from the United States.

The US is boycotting the two-day talks in a diplomatic rift with the host country and had put pressure on South Africa not to adopt a leaders’ declaration in the absence of a US delegation, South African officials said.

Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said that a leaders’ declaration was adopted unanimously by the other members at the start of the talks in Johannesburg.

Declarations are usually adopted at the end of G20 summits.

The 122-point declaration urged more global action on issues that specifically affect poor countries, like climate-related disasters and sovereign debt levels, and was promoted by the hosts as a victory for the first G20 summit to be held in Africa.

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While President Ramaphosa’s spokesperson said the declaration was unanimous, Argentina said it did not endorse it.

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Original article at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/leaders-adopt-declaration-g20-summit-despite-us-opposition