Cape Town – The United States has not formed part of the ongoing second G20 Development Working Group meeting taking place in Somerset West near Cape Town, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramakgopa, confirmed on Tuesday.
According to SABC, Ramakgopa said the US had expressed interest in joining the three-day meeting virtually but was unable to do so due to South Africa’s inability to facilitate remote participation.
“We did, of course, have a request from the USA, however, they wanted to participate virtually, but we couldn’t be able to offer them that even if it was not at the level of the senior officials, however, they did show interest indeed that for this working group, they wanted to be part of it,” the report quoted the minister as saying.
H.E. Maropene Ramokgopa, Minister in the Presidency for Planning,
Monitoring and Evaluation, is delivering the Opening Address at the 2nd G20 Development Working Group Meeting
https://t.co/q8sNg2lSV4— DPME (@DpmeOfficial) April 14, 2025
Despite the absence, Ramakgopa expressed hope for stronger future cooperation with the US, stating that diplomatic efforts would continue to strengthen bilateral engagement.
“We do believe that somewhere somehow through negotiations using diplomatic channels, we will be able to reach conclusions that South African cooperation with the USA to even go bigger. So we will never give up on that.”
Addressing delegates, Ramakgopa urged G20 member states to remain unified despite global tensions. She warned against letting geopolitical divisions influence the group’s decision-making processes.
The meeting serves as a platform for in-depth discussions on global development challenges and cooperative solutions, according to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Yesterday, I opened the second @g20org Development Working Group meeting, which aims to address global development challenges by prioritising reducing illicit financial flows, social protection floors, and global public goods and global public investment #G20DWG pic.twitter.com/PbtjgXYGsA
— Minister Maropene Ramokgopa (@MaropeneRamo) April 15, 2025
“In alignment with the theme of solidarity, equality, and sustainability, the discussions will focus on three high-level priorities; high-level principles on global public goods and global public investment; mobilising financial resources and means of implementation; and building resilience through universal social protection floors,” the department said, according to Xinhua.
Held under the theme of solidarity, equality, and sustainability, the meeting emphasises the needs of developing nations and aims to promote a more inclusive and sustainable global development framework.
The G20, comprising both developed and developing economies, accounts for 85% of global GDP, over 75% of international trade, and around two-thirds of the world’s population.
South Africa, which assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2024, will lead the bloc until November 30, 2025.
Picture: X/@MaropeneRamo
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Complied by Anda Tolibadi
