A summit meant to showcase a new era of global cooperation in Johannesburg ended with a conspicuous void. The 2025 G20 Johannesburg Summit concluded, but with the absence of its most powerful member, the United States (US), leaving more than just an empty chair at the closing ceremony.
A Divided World Meeting in Africa
The summit, the first time the Group of Twenty (G20) convened on African soil under the presidency of South Africa, carried the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, signaling a shift toward debt relief, climate resilience, and inequality reduction.
This ambition was undermined by the decision of the US administration, led by Donald Trump, to boycott the summit. The White House cited what it described as ongoing abuses against white South African farmers, claims widely dismissed by international observers and rejected by South Africa.
Leaders and diplomats attending the summit faced a difficult question: could the G20 deliver meaningful outcomes without participation from the world’s largest economy? That question carried symbolic weight as other countries, including major players from the Global South and Europe, pressed forward.
Summit Carries On but Under New Dynamics
Despite the boycott, summit participants adopted a joint declaration emphasizing climate action, gender equality, debt relief, and support for developing nations.
The summit demonstrated that the G20 can continue functioning even without the US, suggesting a possible rebalancing of global influence. Some commentators have described this as a test of a “post American multilateralism”, where smaller and developing economies can exert greater influence.
Diplomatic Fallout and Legitimacy Questions
The sight of an empty seat at the leadership handover had deep consequences. The US refusal to send even a lower-level representative for the gavel transfer, traditionally passed to the next host, was seen as a snub not only to South Africa but to the idea of shared global leadership.
This diplomatic rupture carries broader implications. The choice to boycott and then publicly denounce South Africa’s government on racial grounds risks undermining US credibility as a defender of human rights and cooperation. Critics argue that the move was politically motivated, eroding trust in the US as a reliable partner in multilateral institutions.
Within South Africa and among other G20 participants, the boycott may have strengthened the push to reposition global governance. Emerging economies could take this as a signal that they can lead on issues such as climate, debt, and inequality without relying on the US.
Looking Ahead: A Transformed G20 or a Fractured Alliance
The 2025 Johannesburg summit may be remembered as the moment the G20 began to evolve from a US-centric club to a more inclusive forum. The joint declaration on climate, inequality, and inclusion shows that core global issues persist, even as traditional power structures shift.
At the same time, the US absence casts a long shadow over future summits. The planned 2026 summit in Miami, to be hosted by the US, may now begin under deeper mistrust. Success will depend on whether the US can re-engage constructively and whether other members will continue to view the G20 as a serious platform for cooperation.
The Johannesburg summit provided more than resolutions. It revealed a world in transition, where nations of the Global South assert greater agency and international institutions adapt to a changing balance of power.
