The Group of Twenty, which brings together the world’s major economies, has decided to make the African Union one of its permanent members, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday.
One of the pillars of Modi’s agenda, the host of this year’s G20 summit, is to give voice to the so-called Global South, made up mostly of developing countries.
The UA had been demanding its inclusion as a full member for seven years. Incorporating the bloc of more than 50 nations is a powerful recognition of the growing importance of Africa.
The European Union is already a permanent member of the G20 and was the only regional bloc that had that status.
