Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would not be attending the G20 summit in November.
Rubio said the summit, which will be held in South Africa, coddles “anti-Americanism.”
“I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg,” Rubio said. “South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change.”
“My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism,” he said.
G20 members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S.
South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said in January that both the G20 and World Economic Forum (WEF) conferences “underscore the importance of collaboration between business and government.”
“Collaboration is the foundation upon which we can harness innovation to address our economic and social challenges, while ensuring that technological advancements are inclusive and equitable,” he said, going on to explain the significance of “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.”
Where solidarity “emphasizes the power of unity and mutual support,” equality ensures that “no one is left behind in our pursuit of global development.” Sustainability “reminds us of the need to balance economic growth with social inclusion and environmental stewardship, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come,” Godongwana explained.
In 2023, G20 countries looked into digital public infrastructure (DPI), a concept relating to digital identification, payments, and data.
A report titled “G20 Policy Recommendations for Advancing Financial Inclusion and Productivity Gains Through Digitial Public Infrastructure” described what it referred to as a “promising approach to fostering inclusive economies and empowering vulnerable individuals for a better future.”
“What constitutes a DPI could vary by country context, but, in general, includes digital ID, digital payments, and data exchange in the financial sector,” the report read. “Digital IDs could further financial inclusion, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where insufficient documentation is often a barrier to account ownership.”
