US to oppose Leaders’ Declaration at G20 summit

Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo and Adv. Nokukhanya Jele address the media on the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on February 19, 2025.

The United States has notified G20 members that it will oppose a traditional Leaders’ Declaration at the 2025 summit in Johannesburg this weekend.

South Africa’s G20 Sous-Sherpa, Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo, has confirmed that the US has written a letter to this effect.

This could result in the first G20 summit without a consensus declaration since the forum was established in 2008.

The US says it will not attend the summit over its claims of a white genocide in South Africa.

International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says South Africa will persuade G20 leaders to adopt a leaders’ declaration.

Mabhongo says it will be interesting to hear the leaders’ views.

“We did receive over the weekend communication from the United States, where they indicated that in their absence from the meeting, their preference is that there should be no declaration adopted. However, as the presidency of the G20, this does not depend on us. So as the presidency, therefore, we are guided by the views of all G20 members. So no country can just make an appeal to the presidents and say, I’m not in your meeting, so don’t have a declaration.”

DEVELOPING | With just a few days before the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg gets underway, SA G20 Sous-Sherpa, Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo, says they recently received a letter from the US pleading that no declaration should be adopted at the summit later this week. pic.twitter.com/EGetbWLUA5

— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 17, 2025