The G20 adopts a declaration at the beginning of its summit in South Africa, breaking with tradition

The leaders of the world’s rich and developing countries, members of the G20, broke with tradition and adopted a declaration at the beginning of the group’s two-day summit in South Africa, today, Saturday.
This comes despite the opposition of the United States, which boycotted the summit, indicating a diplomatic dispute with the host country.

The spokesman for South African President Vincent Magwenya, Cyril Ramaphosa, said that the leaders’ declaration was unanimously adopted by other members at the beginning of the talks in Johannesburg.
He added, “The declaration is usually adopted in the end… but there is a feeling that we must actually move to adopt the summit declaration first as a top priority.”

There were no details about what was in the announcement, but South Africa touted it as a victory for the first G20 summit held in Africa, which was overshadowed by the US boycott ordered by President Donald Trump.

South African officials stated that the Trump administration put pressure on South Africa not to adopt a leaders’ declaration in the absence of an American delegation.

The South African summit discusses an ambitious agenda to make progress on resolving some of the long-term problems that have affected the world’s poorest countries.

The leaders and senior government officials met at an exhibition center near the famous South African town of Soweto, which was once home to Nelson Mandela.