G20 AFRICAN UNION MEMBERSHIP AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/ShodhSamajik.v3.i2.2026.158Keywords:
African Union, G20, Global Economic Governance, Global South, International Financial Architecture, Debt Governance, Climate Finance, AfricaAbstract
In the construction of global governance the entrance of the African Union (AU) as the permanent member of the Group of Twenty (G20) in September 2023 is a significant institutional development. For instance the African states have argued for decades that the economic institutions inefficiently and inadequately reflect the developmental, demographic, and the economic realities of the global south. The participation and the entry of African Union in the G20 introduces Africa with collective representation in a forum that has influence in the exercise of discussion in concerning global economic growth, financial stability, trade, climate finance, debt, taxation, development financing, and in the representation of the developing countries. The article provides with the argument that the membership of the African Union can enhance the representation and the decision making of the G20 and will also provide with strength to Africa’s collective positioning in bargaining. However, policy influence cannot be guaranteed alone on institutional membership. The African union’s capability and effectiveness will also depend on how well can it coordinate the interest of its other 55 member states, formulating a common negotiating position, the strengthening technical capacity, and translate G20 commitments into reforms in the institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF). World Bank, and broader architecture. As of January 2025, the evidences suggests that African Union constitute an important opportunity for global governance and is also significant when it comes to reform- oriented global governance.
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