Zuma at the BRICS leaders' informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou (COURTESY PHOTO) 

As the only African member in the G20, South Africa seeks to advance the African Union's priorities by coordinating closely with African observers in G20 meetings, such as the AU Chair and the NEPAD chair in an effort to strengthen the voice of Africa, said South African President Jacob Zuma after the conclusion of G20 Summit in Hangzhou.  

"South Africa further seeks to use its participation in the G20 to promote and strengthen the interests of the South, on the understanding that, if managed carefully, the G20 does present meaningful opportunities for advancing much-needed global governance reforms and orienting the international development agenda," he said.  

The G20 Summit in Hangzhou on September 4-5, with a theme of “Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy,” vowed to support industrialization in Africa. 

Zuma stressed the importance of industrialization in Africa. "For Africa not to be left behind, we must ensure the transfer of technology and investment in skills," he said. In this regard, protection of intellectual property rights should not be used to exclude or create barriers to Africa's industrialization, he stressed.  

Industrialization, infrastructure development, intra-Africa trade and curbing illicit financial flows are crucial goals for the development of the African continent as stipulated in Agenda 2063, according to the President. 

Innovation, fair trade and investment are important ingredients for sustainable and inclusive growth, he said. "Our trade and investment policies should be designed to enable countries to improve competitiveness and gain access to markets, to successfully participate in the global economy," he added. 

Furthermore, Zuma called for the strengthening of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the principal body to negotiate trade related matters. This entails working toward the early conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda in line with the development mandate and improving market access for exports of developing countries. 

South Africa's proposal that illicit financial flows from trade mispricing be studied by the WTO was accepted. This challenge, if addressed, has the potential to unlock millions of dollars that could be used by African governments to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their development programs. 

The G20 Summit recognized Anti-Microbial Resistance as a health, food security and economic threat of global magnitude. Zuma stressed that a multilateral solution is required as the lack of a global response could undermine the attainment of the health and other related SDGs. 

"Importantly, in addressing this challenge, we need to uphold the principle of inclusivity. This requires that both developed and developing countries are included in research, development and production processes. We must ensure that all have access to these drugs," he said. 

The President also participated as a panelist in a B20 Summit session on "Breaking a New Path for Growth" during his stay in Hangzhou. He said this topic is important for South Africa, given the emphasis on innovation, the digital economy and the new industrial revolution. 

(Source: Brand South Africa)