PRETORIA, Nov 6 (NNN-SANEWS) — President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to placing the fight against global inequality at the centre of the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held in Johannesburg later this month.
Speaking at the handover of the report by the G20 Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality at Tuynhuys on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa described the report as a “seminal and rigorous” document that offers a roadmap for addressing one of the world’s most urgent challenges.
“Now, with this report, we have clear actions that we can take as governments, as societies, and as the global community to reduce inequality. It is now up to us, the leaders of the G20 and the leaders of the world, to demonstrate the necessary will and commitment,” he said.
The report, led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz, represents the first comprehensive examination of inequality to be presented to the G20 for consideration.
“This is the first time that a report of this nature on a matter so fundamental to global stability and human progress is presented for consideration by the G20,” Ramaphosa said.
He emphasised that inequality is not only a moral issue but a direct threat to democracy, inclusive growth, and global peace.
“This report, which is a blueprint for greater equality, supports the goal of South Africa’s G20 Presidency to put inequality on the international agenda. It correctly asserts that inequality is a betrayal of people’s dignity, an impediment to inclusive growth and a threat to democracy itself.
“Addressing inequality is our inescapable generational challenge. We have the means to build a fair, just and equal world. We have the resources to narrow gap between and within countries,” the President said.
President Ramaphosa said the findings and recommendations in the report align with South Africa’s goal as G20 President to ensure that inequality remains a key focus on the global agenda.
He recalled his remarks during the establishment of the Extraordinary Committee in August 2025, when he warned that inequality continues to erode human dignity, citing examples such as vaccine apartheid and the economic fallout of global crises.
“People across the world know how extreme inequality undermines their dignity and chance for a better future. They saw the brutal unfairness of vaccine apartheid, where millions in the Global South were denied the vaccines to save them,” the President said.
He commended the committee for its work, saying the report provides practical and actionable steps that governments and societies can take to narrow the gap between and within nations.
President Ramaphosa expressed appreciation to Professor Stiglitz, the committee of experts, and supporting organisations such as Oxfam for their contributions to the study.
He said the document will form the foundation for discussions at the upcoming G20 Summit, which South Africa will host for the first time.
“This report provides a solid platform on which to launch a renewed global effort to tackle inequality. I look forward to discussing its findings at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg later this month,” he said.
The Extraordinary Committee of Independent Experts on Global Inequality was established under South Africa’s G20 Presidency in 2025 to examine the structural causes of inequality and propose strategies to achieve a fairer global economy. — NNN-SANEWS
