The first Development Working Group (DWG) meeting under South Africa’s Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) was held virtually from 21 to 23 January 2025. The Minister of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Maropene Ramokgopa opened the meeting by welcoming delegates and providing an overview of South Africa’s G20 priorities for the DWG.
The Minister described the current global situation as one characterised by deepening inequalities and fragmentation among nations. In order to curb this trend, the Minister emphasised the need for global solidarity and cooperation if we are to achieve a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Director-General of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, (DMPE), Mrs Josephilda Hlope-Nhlapo, as the Chair of the DWG, and the South African Department tasked with implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also in attendance were G20 Member States, invited Guests Countries and International Organisations, officials from the Departments of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the Department of Social Development (DSD).
The main objective of the meeting was to introduce South Africa’s priorities under the DWG which are:
A) Financing for Development and tackling Illicit Financial Flows
B) Social Protection (Social Protection Floors)
C) Global Public Goods/Global Public Investments
Day one of the meeting was held as an informal side event where experts from different international organisations delivered presentations based on the three priorities mentioned above. The presentations and deliberations were well received by participants across the board.
During the discussion under Global Public Goods (GPGs), it was highlighted that globalisation has deepened interdependence and increased systemic risks and vulnerabilities. Though the meeting noted that there were no universally agreed definitions of the GPGs, there was a general view that these were goods and services not confined by national borders and which often have long-lasting impacts that span multiple generations, affecting regions or countries indiscriminately. Delegates expressed the need for countries to collectively put measures in place to make provisions for these public goods to benefit both humanity and environment, while taking into account the principle of sovereignty for individual countries in deciding and implementing their national priorities.
On Financing for Development and Illicit financial flows (IFFs), the meeting noted that IFFs undermines Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM) and hinders progress toward sustainable development. In Africa alone, IFFs account for an annual loss of $88.6 billion, surpassing inflows from Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Delegates agreed that tackling IFFs is central to achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG 16.4 (reducing illicit flows) and SDG 17.1 (strengthening DRM).
Discussions under Social Protection and Social Protection floors were centred around South Africa’s proposal to develop a high-level document that commits countries to make provisions for a) nationally defined set of goods and services, constituting essential health care, including maternity care, that meets the criteria of availability, accessibility, and quality; b) access to nutrition, education, care and any other necessary goods and services for children; and c) basic income security, at least at a nationally defined minimum level, for persons in active age who are unable to earn sufficient income, in particular in cases of sickness, unemployment, maternity and disability and older persons. These proposals were recommended to be implemented taking into consideration nationally determined circumstances.
South Africa introduced this priority area in order further advance the work done by the ILO: Social Protection Floors Recommendation 2012 (no. 202) and the Social Security Minimum Standards Convention 1952 (no. 102) This will additionally give South Africa the opportunity to showcase the ability of social protection measures to reduce poverty and inequality.
The next meeting of the G20 DWG will take place in-person in April 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa.
