AU earns permanent seat at the G-20 summit

New Delhi, 

Saturday, 9 September, 2023 

McCreadie Andias 

After a long pursuit to join the rich 20.Africa has finally earned a reason to smile after earning a permanent seat the group of 20 leading economies (G-20).

"With everyone's approval, I request the African Union head to take his seat as a permanent G-20 member," Said India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi while officially inviting AU chairperson Azali Assoumani into the G-20 family. 

The move also marks the first expansion of the influential bloc since its inception in 1999.

PM Modi said the move will strengthen the G-20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South. 

Earlier in June, Modi had penned a letter to the summit seeking a position for the AU a commitment that has now been achieved also proving India's advocacy for the Global South. 

The AU now with a G20 membership card will represent its 55 states to advance the African agenda on Trade, Climate, Debt crisis and Infrastructure. 

The African Union has a Gross Domestic Product of about 3 trillion which is about 197 trillion short of the 19 Member states of the G-20 with the European union making the count 20.

Africa enters the summit as the world's largest free trade area also holding 60% of the world's Renewable energy resources and over 30% of the minerals essential renewable and low carbon technologies. 

They enter a platform where they can voice concerns on some of their greatest grievances including reforms in the International monetary fund which has for years imposed high interest fees on loans serviced to African states and also fight the blame on climate impacts bearing in mind that Africa contributes the least to global emissions.