G20 leaders called for a “just, comprehensive and lasting peace” in Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the “Occupied Palestinian Territories” in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday, according to their joint declaration, which was adopted at the start of the summit. TASR informs according to the report of the AFP agency.
“In accordance with the goals and principles of the UN Charter in its entirety, we will work for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Ukraine,” the G20 leaders’ declaration states.
At the same time, G20 officials said in a joint statement that they will seek to protect global supplies of critical minerals from “geopolitical tensions” and “unilateral trade measures”, AFP quotes.
“We seek to ensure that the value chain of critical minerals is better able to withstand disruptions, whether caused by geopolitical tensions, unilateral trade measures that violate WTO rules, pandemics or natural disasters,” the leaders said in a 30-page statement.
They accepted the declaration at the beginning
According to the French agency, this has to do with the fact that China’s dominance in critical mineral supply chains is becoming an increasingly worrying area for the world’s industrialized democracies.
“Usually, the declaration is approved at the very end. However, the opinion prevailed that we should first adopt the summit declaration, as the first item on the agenda,” Vincent Magwenya, spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, told a reporter, according to AP.
The United States is not participating in the summit, reminds AP, according to which the administration of US President Donald Trump put pressure on South Africa not to accept the leaders’ declaration in the absence of the American delegation. The G20 currently consists of 19 countries, as well as the European Union and the African Union, which account for more than 80 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population.
