G20 Declaration Signals Multilateral Push Despite Diplomatic Rift as Presidency Passes to US

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the leaders' declaration from the Johannesburg G20 summit reflects a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation, even as tensions with the United States clouded the formal handover of the rotating presidency.

As host, Ramaphosa pressed the declaration through to address urgent global issues—including the climate crisis, debt burdens and support for vulnerable economies—despite objections from Washington and the absence of some US leaders at the summit. In his closing remarks he argued the document shows world leaders' "shared goals outweigh our differences" and described the declaration as a pledge to take concrete action to improve lives worldwide.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the Johannesburg meeting alongside the recent COP30 climate summit in Brazil, saying both gatherings demonstrated that multilateralism remains alive and urging that summit decisions now be implemented.

Diplomatic row over the presidency handover

The summit ended on a sour note after a dispute over the formal handover of the G20 rotating presidency to the United States. South Africa objected to what it described as an attempt by Washington to send a junior official for a formal handover, which Pretoria viewed as an affront to the outgoing presidency. The United States is scheduled to hold the G20 presidency in 2026 and has said it will host its summit at the Doral golf resort in Florida.

South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola pushed back on Washington's approach, saying:

“The United States is a member of the G20, and if they want to be represented, they can still send anyone at the right level. It is the leaders' summit. The right level is the head of state, a special envoy appointed by the president of that country or it could also be a minister.”

Former US President Donald Trump did not attend the leaders' meetings, and the diplomatic rift deepened when Mr. Ramaphosa said Washington had sought to join at the last minute—an account the White House disputed. Despite the lack of a formal handover ceremony, Mr. Ramaphosa stated the presidency had effectively passed to the United States.

Other developments and outcomes

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Ankara is still evaluating whether to deploy security forces as part of an international stabilization force proposed for Gaza. Turkey — which helped negotiate a ceasefire and was a signatory to the accord reached in Egypt — reiterated at a post‑summit news conference Mr. Erdoğan’s view that the attacks in Gaza amounted to "genocide" and placed responsibility with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This was the first G20 summit held in Africa. South Africa departed from custom by issuing a leaders' declaration on the opening day of talks rather than at the close. The move faced opposition from the United States and from Argentina after President Javier Milei, an ally of Mr. Trump, skipped the summit. Nevertheless, the declaration won backing from a broad group of members, including China, Russia, France, Germany, the UK, Japan and Canada.

The declaration emphasizes increased global attention to issues affecting poorer countries: more financial support for recovery after climate-related disasters, measures to ease debt burdens and assistance to help vulnerable economies transition to cleaner energy sources. Leaders urged swift follow-through to turn commitments into tangible results for affected communities.