By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

South Africa, currently holding the G20 presidency, issued a stark warning today that a decline in global cooperation and a retreat from the rules-based international order could critically derail the ambitious 2030 development goals aimed at eradicating hunger, extreme poverty, and combating climate change.

Speaking at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Durban, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana underscored the urgency of collective action. He highlighted that progress on the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by member states in 2015 and encompassing 17 crucial targets for areas such as education, climate action, and gender equality, is increasingly at risk.

Godongwana pointed to a confluence of global challenges threatening these vital objectives, including persistent global economic uncertainty, the rise of trade barriers, enduring global imbalances, and escalating geopolitical risks. He emphasized that these factors compound existing vulnerabilities, particularly for developing nations.

The minister stressed the G20’s “critical role” in revitalizing and strengthening multilateralism. His remarks come amidst growing concerns about fragmentation in global governance and a resurgence of protectionist sentiments in various parts of the world. South Africa, which assumed the G20 Presidency in December 2024, is pushing for renewed commitment to global solidarity and shared responsibility to ensure the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals remain achievable.