JOHANNESBURG — As the first G20 leaders' summit on African soil opened on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez delivered a stark warning against escalating protectionism and trade barriers, declaring that tariffs lead only to “collective defeat.” Speaking at the Nasrec Expo Centre, Sánchez described the gathering as taking place amid “deep uncertainty” for the global economy, sustainable development, and multilateralism itself.
The Spanish leader highlighted a recent report from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health projecting that cuts in official development assistance could cause more than 22 million preventable deaths worldwide by 2030, including 5.4 million children under five. “These figures are truly horrifying,” he said, linking shrinking aid budgets to broader failures in global cooperation.
“Trade disruptions, fragmentation of supply chains, and rising protectionism are eroding the foundation of global growth, and they need to be urgently tackled,” Sánchez stressed. He insisted that while industrial over-capacity and unfair competition are genuine challenges for both advanced and developing economies, responding with tariffs is self-defeating. “Tariffs are not a weapon but a barrier,” he said.
The two-day summit, hosted by South Africa under the banner “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” is the first ever held on African soil. Notably, the United States, a founding G20 member, boycotted the event — a decision widely attributed to tensions between Washington and Pretoria over trade policy, land reform accusations, and the summit’s strong focus on climate justice and development finance.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa opened proceedings by announcing that leaders had already adopted a final declaration on Saturday morning, achieved through “overwhelming consensus” among the attending members. The text reportedly includes firm commitments on debt relief, renewable energy transitions, and reform of global financial institutions — issues long resisted by the Trump administration.
Sánchez also used his address to call for consistent respect for the UN Charter “everywhere, at all times — be it in Ukraine or in Palestine.” He urged universal defence of sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and strict adherence to international humanitarian law.
Other leaders echoed the theme of renewed multilateralism. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the G20 “may be coming to the end of a cycle” unless unilateral impulses are curbed. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to help the forum “play a constructive role again,” while Chinese Premier Li Qiang criticised “rampant unilateralism and protectionism.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, attending as a guest, questioned whether the G20 could genuinely prioritise the needs of the world’s poorest nations and called for structural reforms to give developing countries greater voice.
Outside the heavily secured venue, Johannesburg presented a city of contrasts: freshly paved roads and manicured verges for the summit stood alongside everyday reminders of strained infrastructure. Silent protests against gender-based violence unfolded on nearby streets, while smaller anti-immigration demonstrations highlighted domestic political tensions.
South Africa’s year-long G20 presidency has placed special emphasis on resilient supply chains, universal social protection, and climate adaptation finance — priorities that resonate strongly across the African continent and the wider Global South. Bilateral and trilateral meetings on the sidelines, including an India-Australia-Canada technology pact and an IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) dialogue, underscored a growing trend toward South-South and middle-power cooperation.
European leaders moved quickly to fill the vacuum left by the U.S. absence. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signalled readiness to deepen trade ties with African partners, and European Council President António Costa described the EU as a “predictable, reliable partner” for the continent.
With the United States scheduled to host next year’s summit in Miami, many delegates privately expressed concern that the G20 risks becoming another arena of great-power confrontation rather than collective problem-solving. For now, however, the Johannesburg meeting has projected an image of continuity among the remaining members — and a clear message that most of the world intends to press ahead on trade openness, climate action, and development support, with or without Washington’s participation.
As Pedro Sánchez concluded: in an age of fragmentation, only solidarity offers a path forward.
