G20 Debt Negotiations: What Can the African Union Achieve?
Megatrends Policy Brief 37, 25.04.2025, 14 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2025MTA-PB37
Public debt is rising globally and several countries in Africa are facing debt distress. To advance African priorities during the South African G20 Presidency, the African Union should focus on negotiating short-term gains, such as steps to better address borrowers' needs in debt restructuring.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, greets delegates at G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025.
© picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Nardus Engelbrecht
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