Leaders push innovation, development reform, and global cooperation while navigating complex geopolitical tensions at Johannesburg G20.
World leaders intensified their collaborative agenda at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held key bilateral discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The meeting produced a major announcement: the creation of the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, a trilateral framework designed to accelerate research, digital advancement, and cross-border technological cooperation.
In his broader address to the summit, PM Modi urged a fundamental re-evaluation of global development metrics, arguing that outdated frameworks fail to capture the world’s evolving economic and social realities. He also proposed two key global initiatives:
- A G20 mechanism to counter the global drug-terror nexus, and
- An international rapid-response healthcare coordination team for future pandemics and health emergencies.
Despite the United States boycotting the event, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that the G20 successfully adopted its joint declaration, underscoring Pretoria’s efforts to safeguard the group’s credibility and unity. In his opening remarks, Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of strengthening the G20’s institutional foundation against global volatility and ensuring its continued relevance as one of the world’s most influential decision-making platforms.
Against a backdrop of shifting alliances and geopolitical complexity, the Johannesburg summit signaled a renewed attempt by major economies to balance national priorities with shared global responsibility.
