The African Union soon in the club of twenty? This is one of the challenges of the annual summit of the G20, an organization bringing together the largest developed and emerging economies on the planet, which is being held on September 9 and 10 in New Delhi, India. Several officials whispered this Friday that the group of African states, until now invited as a simple guest, could well obtain a permanent seat.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country holds the presidency of the G20 this year, has shown in recent days his desire to expand the borders of the G20 with “the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member”.
The European Union, which has a seat in the G20, has shown its support for the initiative. “I am delighted to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20,” declared the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to journalists in New Delhi this Friday, September 8. “Let’s wait and see what the decision will be. But one thing is clear: the EU supports Africa’s membership of the G20.” According to RFI, which quotes “from a good European source”, two countries would still hesitate: Indonesia and Australia. “They fear the influx of applications from other regional organizations”, it is written.
“The voice of the AU will strengthen the G20”
In December, US President Joe Biden had already expressed the wish that the AU join the G20 as a permanent member, assuring that “it was going to happen”. His position was reaffirmed this week by his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, during a briefing on US priorities at the summit. “We believe that the voice of the African Union will strengthen the G20,” he commented.
A senior official at the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vinay Kwatra, said he expected a decision on Saturday morning at the summit, although it was still possible that a G20 member would veto it. The president of the Comoros archipelago, Azali Assoumani, who is currently head of the African Union, landed in New Delhi this Friday and is due to participate in weekend discussions.
Only one African country – South Africa – is currently a member of the organization which brings together 19 of the world’s largest economies as well as the European Union, representing 85% of the world’s GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population. Based in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, the AU has 55 members (including six suspended), totaling three trillion dollars in GDP. Granting the African Union a permanent seat in the G20 would make it possible to “repair an injustice”, Senegalese President Macky Sall argued in July.
“Africa combined is in eighth place in the world in terms of gross domestic product,” he recalled during the summer during a videoconference intervention as part of the Aix-en-Provence Economic Meetings, in the South of France.