G20 Expands to G21 with African Union

The Group of 20 granted the African Union permanent membership to the forum at its summit in New Delhi, India this weekend, where it will stand as a regional voice on an equal keel with the European Union. The move is being praised for strengthening the Global South’s position in terms of international economic issues.

The G20 is made up of the world’s biggest economies, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States plus the regional blocs of the European Union and now the African Union. The expansion of the group will likely lead to a new naming, which observers are anticipating to be the G21.

The AU, which is made up of 55 members, had previously been designated as an “invited international organization" at the G20, while South Africa had been the only official member of the continent.

"I welcome the AU's entry into the G20 as a full member," African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "This membership, for which we have long been advocating, will provide a propitious framework for amplifying advocacy in favor of the Continent and its effective contribution to meeting global challenges."