South Africa's former finance minister to head G20 Africa Expert Panel
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South Africa’s former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has been appointed to head the G20 Africa Expert Panel, which will advise G20 leaders on how best to deal with the social and economic needs of the continent.
The panel is a key component of South Africa's presidency of the global bloc, which began on 1 December.
South Africa is expected to use its G20 role to highlight the growing debt crisis on the continent and in parts of the developing world.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently appointed Manuel to an UN expert group charged to galvanise action around the unprecedented debt crisis facing developing countries.
Enoch Godongwana, South Africa’s current Finance Minister, said Manuel's appointment to the Expert Africa Panel would create synergy between the work of the UN and that of the G20 on the debt problem.
The G20 is the premier forum for global economic cooperation and global governance representing 85% of global gross domestic product (GDP), 75% of global trade and two-thirds of the world’s population. It is a vehicle for promoting effective multilateral cooperation by bringing together the world's leading economies to ensure global economic stability and sustainable growth.
The G20 is made up of 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia, Türkiye, UK and USA) and two bodies: the African Union and the European Union.
-0- PANA CU/MA 17Dec2024
