SA has proposed the establishment of a G20 commission to address debt sustainability in developing economies.
It is hoped the establishment of the commission will help accelerate progress towards the achievement of sustainable development goals.
Parliament’s portfolio committee on international relations & cooperation confirmed the proposal at a media briefing on Monday but did not provide details on the proposed commission’s mandate or its interface with existing debt resolution mechanisms.
No hosting budget or procurement details were disclosed. Nor was there clarity on how inputs from the colloquium and engagement groups would be synthesised into the sherpa process or tracked through to the leaders’ communiqué.
The committee’s emphasis on inclusive development comes amid growing concern over the global pace of sustainable development goals delivery. According to the UN’s 2025 progress report, fewer than 15% of targets are on track, with setbacks in poverty reduction, education, and climate resilience most pronounced in low‑income countries.
Rising debt burdens and constrained fiscal space have further limited the ability of developing economies to invest in social infrastructure and climate adaptation, a context that lends urgency to SA’s proposed debt commission.
Committee chair Supra Mahumapelo said the presidency's theme of “solidarity, equality, sustainability” placed Africa’s development needs at the centre of global discussions.
“The committee has an interest ... in ensuring that SA holds a successful G20 summit which will leave sustainable legacy outcomes that benefit all the people of SA and the African continent,” Mahumapelo said.
The committee cited the goals’ pledge to “leave no-one behind” and named women, girls and people with disabilities as priority constituencies. It also identified domestic resource mobilisation and the curbing of illicit financial flows as key financing levers.
The colloquium with non‑state actors, scheduled for Tuesday, was intended to feed into the G20 engagement streams.
“These G20 engagement groups will make their own recommendations with the aim of influencing the outcome document to be considered by the leaders,” he said.
Mahumapelo said the department of international relations & cooperation had assured parliament that preparatory activities were not confined to major metros alone but also included rural provinces. “More should be done to strengthen communication to villages, townships and small towns.”
Two public‑facing mechanisms have been announced — a weekly podcast on international relations and ward‑level oversight forums to scrutinise foreign policy and identify local opportunities. The committee said these would operate through 2029, subject to parliamentary programming.
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