India hosts G20 and AU joins in

Welcome to today's podcast episode, this is your host Amaya. And today we'll be discussing the recent inclusion of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G20, a group of the world's richest and most powerful countries. This significant development took place at the request of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hosted the G20 Summit.

The African Union is a group of 55 African nations, representing approximately 1.4 billion people and around 10% of the world's economy. Until now, Africa had only been marginally represented within the G20 through South Africa's seat. With the AU's inclusion, the G20 will now have more than 20 members, marking the end of the G20 as we know it.

You might be wondering why the African Union should get a G20 membership and why India is championing this cause. The African Union has been a permanent guest at the G20, along with 12 other organizations like the United Nations, ASEAN, the IMF, and the World Bank. However, being a permanent guest does not provide the same level of representation as full membership.

Africa is home to 1.4 billion people, about 17% of the world's population, but the continent has just one full member in the G20: South Africa. This lack of representation is even more apparent when compared to Europe, which has five G20 member countries and the European Union itself. The inclusion of the African Union as a full member will not completely undo this disparity, but it is a start towards just representation.

India's push for the inclusion of the African Union aligns with its commitment to being the voice of the global South. The decision to include the AU as a permanent member of the G20 has received positive responses from various countries.

In an interview with the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitaw Maktougal, he expressed optimism about the inclusion of the African Union and the importance of having a voice at the decision-making table of the largest economies in the world. He also emphasized that there is more to discuss at the G20 Summit than just the conflict in Ukraine, and that the theme of "one world, one family, one future" should guide the conversations.

The inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 marks a new era of representation for the African continent. It is a step towards just representation and a more inclusive global decision-making process. As the G20 evolves, it will be interesting to see how the African Union's membership impacts the group's discussions and decisions in the years to come.

Thank you for joining me on today's episode of the India This Decade Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please don't forget to subscribe and share. In our next episode, we will be discussing another vital topic for India This Decade. Stay tuned!