Biden announces U.S. support for African Union joining G20
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced he would support the African Union joining the G20 group of large economies as a permanent member, part of Washington’s efforts to reinvigorate ties with a region that has taken a back seat to other priorities in recent years.
Biden, speaking at a U.S.-Africa leaders summit event, said the United States is looking to increase collaboration in all areas.
“Africa belongs to the table in every room – in every room – where global challenges are being discussed, and in every institution where discussions are taking place,” Biden said.
“It’s been a long time in coming, but it’s gonna come.”
South Africa is currently the only G20 member from Africa. The AU is made up of 55 member states.
African leaders from 49 countries and the AU have gathered this week in Washington for a three-day summit that began on Tuesday, with the focus on climate change, food security, trade partnerships and other issues.
Biden’s remarks, and the summit, aim to position the United States as a partner to African countries amid competition with China, which has sought to expand its influence there by funding infrastructure projects on the continent and elsewhere.
Chinese trade with Africa is about four times that of the United States, and Beijing has become an important creditor by offering cheaper loans – often with opaque terms and collateral requirements – than Western lenders.
Adding the African Union to the Group of 20 major economies will give one of the fastest-growing regions of the world a bigger voice in the body.
The G20 has set up a common framework for helping heavily indebted poor countries restructure their debt – much of which is held by China – but that process has moved at a glacial pace.
Having a seat at the table could help some African nations, many of which are not currently eligible for debt treatments under the G20 plan, advance their interests.
It will also give them a bigger say in key issues such as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change amid mounting frustration that rich countries are not taking enough responsibility for years of rampant fossil fuel usage that has contributed to global warming.
Mark Sobel, a former U.S. Treasury and International Monetary Fund official now affiliated with the OMFIF financial policy think tank, welcomed Biden’s move.
Comments are closed.