United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has praised South African (SA) President Cyril Ramaphosa for his leadership ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. He said Ramaphosa had consistently raised the concerns of developing nations, particularly African countries, and ensured their financial and economic priorities were placed firmly on the global agenda.

Guterres was addressing the media in Johannesburg on Friday, where he again urged the G20 to pursue reforms that would give developing countries a fairer stake in global decision-making. The summit officially gets under way this morning at Nasrec.

In his remarks, Guterres stressed the need for change within the global financial system, saying; “The G20 is an informal gathering that decides by consensus. One of the reasons I’m speaking to you today is to encourage the G20 to undertake the reforms necessary for development prospects and the implementation of sustainable development goals on the African continent to become a reality. The system as it stands is unfair and ineffective. It was created by a group of developed countries and shaped around their economies. It is time for a truly global financial system that focuses on the challenges faced by developing nations.”

–ChannelAfrica–