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President Cyril Ramphosa has announced that SA is studying 276 new infrastructure projects to revive the economy. Photo: GCIS
- President Cyril Ramaphosa shared his views on Twitter during the G20 virtual summit.
- The two-day event is being facilitated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Ramaphosa sees the Financing Framework for Sustainable Development as proof of the G20’s commitment to the sustainable development agenda.
According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, adequate, “at scale” and additional funding must be secured for developing countries, as well as technology transfer and capacity building support.
He tweeted his views on Sunday while participating in a virtual summit of G20 leaders. The two-day event is being facilitated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“The coronavirus pandemic is not only the greatest health crisis of our time, but also a serious social and economic crisis. The pandemic has delayed global efforts to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality,” Ramaphosa tweeted.
“Our recovery from the crisis requires that we redouble our efforts to meet our global obligations as reflected in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular our commitment to leave no one behind and to help those furthest behind first. “.
He welcomes that the Saudi Presidency has prioritized the issue of G20 support for Covid-19 response and recovery plans in developing countries, especially Africa and small island developing states.
“We view the Financing Framework for Sustainable Development as proof of the G20’s commitment to the sustainable development agenda. We are also pleased with the continued commitment to Africa’s development through the G20 African Partnership, the Pact with Africa and the G20 Industrialization Initiative in Africa and Least Developed Countries, “the president tweeted.
In his view, all these initiatives go a long way towards supporting the African Union Agenda 2063.
One of the challenges Ramaphosa highlighted is the problem of illicit financial flows, which must be urgently addressed. He noted that a recent UNCTAD report noted that curbing the annual capital flight of $ 88 billion from Africa could potentially half of Africa’s SDG financing gap.
“Addressing illicit financial flows is an important development issue,” Ramaphosa tweeted. “We must remain steadfast in our determination to protect our societies and the planet from environmental degradation.” Another important issue for him is the environment. As part of the broader African Union recovery program, for example, the Green Stimulus Program for Africa has been developed.
“We also remain committed as South Africa to meeting our international obligations to combat climate change,” Ramaphosa tweeted.
“As we await COP26 in Glasgow next year, we must prioritize the full and balanced operationalization of the three overarching goals of the Paris Agreement, namely mitigation, but we must not neglect adaptation and support either.”
Sustainable energy transitions and access to energy will be crucial to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, in his view.
“South Africa therefore welcomes Saudi Arabia’s introduction of the carbon circular economy approach at the G20. South Africa is developing the scientific knowledge base for a transition to a circular economy,” the president tweeted.
“We have had some success with industrial symbiosis initiatives, where waste from one sector is a valuable input for another sector. We are developing ambitious producer responsibility schemes in industry to manage waste effectively.”
For Ramaphosa, it is essential that adequate forms of financial support are provided to African countries so that they can facilitate a green and sustainable recovery.
“In the difficult period ahead, South Africa looks forward to further collaboration within the G20 as we work to rebuild in a way that is more sustainable and inclusive and creates opportunities for all,” he concluded.
