Boksburg – South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, has urged global solidarity as the 2025 G20 Social Summit drew to a close on Thursday at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. In his closing remarks, Lamola reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to an inclusive, people-centred G20, stressing that the summit had elevated the role of civil society in shaping global governance.
The summit, which built on the precedent set by Brazil during its 2024 G20 Presidency, focused on amplifying the voices of those often left out of high-level diplomatic discussions. Lamola noted that South Africa had fulfilled President Cyril Ramaphosa’s mandate to continue the tradition of inclusive global dialogue, ensuring that the concerns of marginalised communities were central to the proceedings.
“Civil society movements have been key in highlighting issues that would otherwise have been overlooked,” Lamola told delegates. “From the risks of a new global minerals boom to the social costs of the debt crisis, their advocacy has ensured that the voices of the most vulnerable were heard.”
During the summit, civil society movements warned governments about the dangers of a new mineral extraction boom, urging a focus on beneficiation to avoid repeating past mistakes of exploitation. Activists also drew attention to the rising costs of the global debt crisis, with women and children bearing the brunt of the economic strain.
Lamola highlighted that the message from grassroots organisations was clear: global inequality must be tackled head-on if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved. “Inequality is bad for democracy,” Lamola stated, referencing the urgent calls for climate action, food security, and peace raised by civil society.
The summit also focused on ensuring that Africa plays a more significant role in global decision-making. Lamola praised civil society’s insistence that developing countries, particularly in Africa, must be given more meaningful representation on international platforms.
“Africa must move from being a rule-taker to a rule-maker,” he added.
As the summit concluded, Lamola urged delegates to leave South Africa not with resignation but with renewed energy and determination. Drawing inspiration from the poem Bandung Dance by Keorapetse Kgositsile, he called for continued solidarity, equality, and sustainability in global efforts moving forward.
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