The first G20 summit to be held on the African continent came to a close on Sunday, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa symbolically striking a gavel to mark the event’s conclusion. In a departure from tradition, the gathering issued a leaders’ declaration on the opening day of talks, despite opposition from the United States. The US had been critical of the South African agenda, which focused on climate change and global wealth inequality.

The declaration reflects a “renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation,” according to Ramaphosa. In his closing speech, he emphasized the need for an end to conflicts and wars worldwide, and for a just and lasting peace. The summit, he said, had taken place at a crucial time, with growing calls globally for progress on pressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change.

Ramaphosa noted that the declaration demonstrated that shared goals outweighed differences among the participating nations, and represented a commitment to concrete actions to improve lives worldwide. The summit’s outcome is significant, as it shows that international cooperation can lead to meaningful agreements, even in the face of disagreement.

The US had boycotted the gathering, citing concerns over the treatment of South Africa’s white Afrikaner minority, a claim that has been widely discredited. As a result, the traditional handover ceremony, in which the wooden gavel would have been passed to the next G20 president, did not take place. The US is scheduled to take over as G20 president in 2026 and will host the summit at Trump’s golf club in Doral, Florida.

The G20 summit’s focus on climate change and global wealth inequality reflects the growing recognition of these issues as major challenges facing the world. The declaration’s emphasis on multilateral cooperation and concrete actions to address these challenges is a positive step towards finding solutions. As the global community looks to the future, the outcome of this summit serves as a reminder of the importance of international cooperation in addressing the world’s most pressing problems. With the US set to take over as G20 president next year, the success of the summit will be closely watched, and its impact will be felt in the years to come.