The African Union may be having a seat in the Group of 20 major economies, known in short as G20, as US President Joe Biden is backing a permanent spot for the union in international organizations.
A statement from the White House said Biden is seeking to elevate Africa’s role, and would make the announcement during a three-day US-Africa Summit that opens on Tuesday in Washington, DC,1 where the United States will commit to the continent after inroads by China and Russia.
The move follows a growing call led by the US for Africa to have permanent seats in international organizations, where most of her nations play major roles.
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“It’s past time Africa has permanent seats at the table in international organisations and initiatives,” Judd Devermont, senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council, said on Friday.
“We need more African voices in international conversations that concern the global economy, democracy and governance, climate change, health and security,” added Devermont.
The Biden administration has been at the forefront of the call, pushing for permanent seats for African countries even in the United Nations Security Council. In September, the US president said during a speech to the UN that the World Body’s Security Council needs to be expanded to include more representation from Africa.
The US-Africa Summit is the closest opportunity Biden has right now to increase the seats for Africa in one of the international organizations. About 50 African leaders are expected to attend the meetings held December 13-15 in the US, where Biden is expected to discuss the African Union’s role with India – the G20 president for 2023.
The G-20 representation, besides giving Africa a global economic voice, is expected to create an opportunity that would allow African countries to more effectively push for the group to implement its pledge to help the continent in its fight against climate change.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, at last month’s G20 gathering in Indonesia, indicated that joining the group is important if the AU members would achieve their climate goals.
“We call for continued G20 support for the African Renewable Energy Initiative as a means of bringing clean power to the continent on African terms,” Ramaphosa told the gathering. “This can be best achieved with the African Union joining the G20 as a permanent member.”
Currently, South Africa is the only African member of the G20, which was launched in its current form during the 2008 financial crisis to bring together the world’s top economies. The group is made up of the world’s major industrial and emerging economies and represents more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product.
But so far, other members of the G20 have not openly endorsed the request for the African Union to join the group.
Aljazeera reported that the Biden administration has sought warm ties with the African Union’s current chair; Senegalese President Macky Sall, who Indonesia invited to the latest G20’s meeting in November, and is expected at the Washington summit.
But it’s quite unclear if the US-Africa Summit will close the deal for the AU, given the current attitude of the group’s members. What is clear is that it will give the call a loud push.