G20 close to agreement on admitting African Union, unlikely to change name to G21

NEW DELHI: The G20 states have moved closer to an agreement on admitting the African Union (AU) as a member of the grouping, with an announcement expected during the summit to be hosted by India over the weekend, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The admission of the AU, a bloc of 55 countries from the African continent that was launched in 2002, has been included in the draft leaders’ declaration that is being negotiated by the G20 states, the people said on condition of anonymity.

Even if the proposal is not vetoed by any G20 member, it was not immediately clear whether the AU’s membership process would be completed at the summit to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10 or under the forthcoming Brazilian presidency of the G20 in 2024, the people said.

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In June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to his counterparts among G20 members that the AU should be given full membership of the grouping at the upcoming summit. The proposal was made following a request from the AU.

Russian Sherpa Svetlana Lukash told the daily Vedomosti that text regarding AU’s admission had been included in the draft leaders’ declaration. She also said President Vladimir Putin – who is skipping the G20 Summit – had backed the AU’s candidature during the Russia-Africa Summit in July.

The G20 includes 19 countries and the European Union (EU), which also has backed the proposal to include the AU. If the AU is admitted, it is expected to have the same status as the 27-member EU, the only regional bloc with full membership of the G20. The AU’s admission is also not expected to lead to a change in the name of the G20, the people said.

Leaders of EU states that are also part of the G20 – France, Italy, Germany and the UK – will hold a meeting with leaders of AU states attending the G20 Summit, including Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Mauritius and Comoros, in New Delhi on September 9. The meeting will be part of the EU’s outreach to the Global South, a senior EU official said.

Among the issues expected to come up at this meeting are reforms of global institutions and multilateral development banks, infrastructure projects and investments, and resolution of regional conflicts in Africa.

The current members of the G20 represent about 85% of global GDP, more than 75% of world trade and about two-thirds of the global population. The AU’s inclusion is expected to give African countries a greater say in tackling global challenges such as climate transition, debt restructuring and sustainable development.

Meanwhile, negotiators from the G20 states continued discussions to remove differences on issues that are holding up a consensus outcome document, primarily the Ukraine crisis.

Russia and China continue to oppose any text referring to the conflict. An official from a G7 state, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China’s approach appeared to be aimed at obstructing all proposals from India.

The people said a proposal floated to overcome the deadlock over the Ukraine crisis was issuing two separate outcome documents – one on economic and developmental issues and another on geopolitical matters such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, the proposal had not found favour with the G7 states, the people said.