United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has called on G20 leaders to use their influence to drive long-overdue reforms that would give developing nations, particularly in Africa, a meaningful voice in shaping global policies.
Speaking to the media in Johannesburg last night, ahead of the G20 summit set to begin at Nasrec tomorrow, Guterres said global economic governance remains deeply unequal and must be made more inclusive.
He warned that many developing countries, especially in Africa, are battling what he described as a “perfect storm” of shrinking fiscal space, mounting debt and a global financial system that has failed to serve them.
Guterres said; “Developing countries, particularly in Africa, are suffering from a perfect storm of shrinking fiscal space, crushing debt burdens and a global financial architecture that is failing to support or even represent them adequately. Africa has been a double victim of colonialism, first through centuries of exploitation and plunder, and then again when international institutions were created while most African countries were still under colonial rule, leaving their voices absent from the table. Today, Africa remains woefully underrepresented across global institutions, and this must change.”
His remarks come as heads of state and government continue to arrive in South Africa for the high-level gathering, where issues of global reform, finance and development are expected to dominate discussions.
–ChannelAfrica–
