Forward Planning and Preparation Will Allow the AU to become an Organised and Influential Member of the G20

It is looking increasingly likely that the African Union will be admitted as the 21st member of the G20 during the next summit to be hosted by India, thereby correcting a historical imbalance where the only other highly integrated continental region – the EU – had been a founding member. So far, well over of half of the G20 members have announced at head of state level their support for this, kicking off with China in August 2020 and, most recently Russia during its Africa summit. Kudos must go to Senegal’s President Macky Sall initially for leading this charge, writing to all G20 elements in early 2020 to set the case for this multilateral shift, and to India’s President Modi for following up recently with another letter to G20 members to reinforce his support for full agreement during the forthcoming summit. Although the G20 now convenes a plethora of meetings and topics from trade to development, at its most fundamental level, the G20 interacts at three levels: the leaders’ level, the finance ministers’ level and the central bank governors’ level. As agreed at this year’s Heads of State meeting, the AU Chair – which this year is the President of Comoros HE Azali Assoumani – and the AU Commission Chairperson – HE Moussa Faki – will represent Africa at leaders’ level at the G20.

AFRICAN BUSINESS