South African (SA) Deputy President Paul Mashatile will officially open the three-day G20 Social Summit in Boksburg in eastern Johannesburg later this Tuesday.
It is a precursor of the two-day Leaders’ Summit, which will start on Friday.
The Social Summit will bring together civil society voices that will contribute to the G20 decision-making process.
The Social Summit concept started in Brazil last year, and building on the idea of entrenching civil society input into the G20, SA wants to ensure that the summit elevates issues of social development, equity, and inclusion to the same level as financial concerns.
The three-day meeting brings together representatives from governments, civil society, labour, youth, women and persons with disabilities, among others.
The summit seeks to ensure that the lived experiences of ordinary people help to shape G20 outcomes.
Almost 5000 delegates are expected to attend, with at least eleven thematic areas set up for discussion over the next three days.
Both SA President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will feature on the last day.
—SABC—
