As the world prepares for the upcoming G20 summit, global civil society has issued a call to action calling on world leaders to commit to solidarity, equality and sustainability as the cornerstones of a just global order.
Representing more than 3,000 civil society organizations around the world, Civil 20 – (C20) the official civil society engagement group of the G20 – today presented its political declaration and communication to G20 leaders, setting out key recommendations for reforming global systems and promoting people-centred development.
Speech and Media in the Presideor, C20 Shemer Mabaldie the declaration reflects the lived reality and political priorities of the communities most affected by inequality, exclusion and crisis.
The declaration is the culmination of South Africa’s G20 chairmanship and is based on the work of 14 C20 working groups, shaped by feminist, youth, disability, indigenous and LGBTQI+ perspectives.
“The well-being of people and the health of the planet must be at the center of global economic policy. The era of incrementalism is over. The path forward must be based on participation, redistribution and environmental justice,” the declaration states.
A plan for a just and sustainable world
The C20 declaration calls for far-reaching reforms on five key pillars: economic justice, climate action, technology and cultural sovereignty, the food and care economy, and citizen participation.
The most important requirements of the C20 are:
- Reforming global financial institutions to reflect the economic contribution of the Global South, including democratic governance of the IMF and the World Bank.
- Debt cancellation and establishment of fair UN-led mechanisms for sovereign debt management combined with compensatory and redistributive financing models.
- A time-bound transition away from fossil fuels based on climate justice and community-defined just transition plans.
- Investments in inclusive education, technology governance, and indigenous information systems to promote decolonized, future-ready societies.
- The protection of civil space and defenders and the establishment of a permanent G20 gender equality working group to promote women’s representation.
The declaration also calls on world leaders to reject extractive economic models that erode local resources, recognize local and indigenous knowledge systems as engines of climate and economic sustainability, and incorporate justice into global migration and environmental management.
As the C20 prepares for its official summit on 12-14 November 2025, the organization says its message to the G20 is clear: the future is political and justice delayed is justice denied.
“We present this declaration not only to the G20 governments but also to the people of the world as a manifesto for just futures. Let this be the year that civil society is not only heard, but taken into account,” Mfundisi said.
The C20 Political Declaration and Communiqué will inform discussions at the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit as South Africa ends its term as G20 Chair.
“The future is not sustainable without justice. No one can be left behind. The question is not whether the G20 group has been told – but whether they act according to the clear collective demands of the constituencies they serve,” Mfundisi said.
The 14 Action Plans and 2 Declarations of Intent which are an integral part of this political declaration/statement can be found at this link: https://showmeyournumbersa-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/mabalane_showmeyournumber_org_za2/EixLqldt9M1OiYJXIv7lskABL3ZvvWuFZuscm3XwCIxVjA?e=qMvFWA – SAnews.gov.za