Washington DC [US]: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that he will not be attending the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, citing concerns over the country’s actions, including the expropriation of private property. He also criticized South Africa for using the G20 platform to promote “solidarity, equality, and sustainability,” which he believes is a veiled push for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)” and climate change agendas.
I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 5, 2025
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…
Sharing a post on X, Rubio wrote, “I will not attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change.”
Rubio further emphasized that his primary responsibility is to protect America’s national interests, adding, “My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”
The G20 comprises 19 member countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These nations represent 85% of the global Gross Domestic Product, over 75% of international trade, and about two-thirds of the world’s population.
South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2024, and will hold it until November 2025. The G20 Presidency rotates annually among its members, selected from different regional groupings of countries. Notably, the membership is divided into five groups, though Group 1 (Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the United States) and Group 2 (India, Russia, South Africa, and Turkiye) do not follow the regional grouping pattern. Group 3 includes Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico; Group 4 includes France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom; and Group 5 includes China, Indonesia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.