Ahead of the G20 Summit in India, reports on Friday, September 8 indicated that member nations of the group are likely to agree in granting the African Union a full and permanent membership, Reuters reported.
The African Union (AU) has been playing an invited role just like international organizations like the United Nations during the summit, but if it granted membership, the AU will earn the same status as the European Union.
At the same time, sources indicated that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is hosting the summit had written a letter to the G20 nations back in July.
Modi who holds the G20 presidency proposed that the AU be given full and permanent membership ahead of the upcoming summit in New Delhi, India.
The proposal of incorporating the AU into the G20 was communicated a few weeks later in July at the third G20 sherpas conference in Hampi, India.
This decision stems from the wish to give AU members a greater say on the global stage.
Further, the African Union (AU) has become an influential organization that comprises over 50 countries that make up the African Continent.
Currently, the African Union is enjoying support of powerful nations like Germany, Canada and Brazil which will be crucial in its bid to be a permanent member of the G20.
India is expected to host global leaders and their spouses from 19 countries, including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rish Sunak, and French President Emmanuel Macron among others.
In addition, the leaders are expected to meet for the annual G20 leaders’ summit in India’s capital, Delhi, from 9 th -10 th September.
However, Chinese President XI Jinping will miss the summit for the first time, Russian President Vladmir Putin is also expected not to attend, but the two leaders have sent representatives to the summit.
The main theme for the summit is sustainable development but close sources have indicated that India will try to make sure the meeting is not dominated by rows over Ukraine war as it happened in the last G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
However, it’s not immediately clear if the decision would be announced at the annual G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi over the weekend.The G20 Summit this year has invited the non-member countries including Singapore, Spain and International Organizations among others.
What is the G20?
G20 Currently comprises of 19 countries and the European Union. These countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK and the US while the European Union is comprised of 27members.
The G20 was formed after 20 major countries came up with an economic grouping after the Asian Financial crisis in 1999 with the understanding that such a crisis needed international cooperation.Currently, the G20 accounts for nearly 80 percent of the global domestic production GDP and 75 percent of international trade.
Additionally, the G20 has mainly centered its agenda around loans to developing nations by offering them from their multilateral institutions, reforming the debt structure, food and energy security among others thers
The G20 has broadened its focus in recent years to include issues such as climate change, international debt and forgiveness.