G20 becomes G21

G20 becomes G21

Subject: IR

Section: Groupings

Context: African Union becomes permanent member of G20.

More about the news:

• The G20 admitted the African Union as a new member on Saturday, three months after India proposed its inclusion in June, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to G20 leaders suggesting full membership for the African Union at the upcoming Delhi Summit.
• The idea germinated after the ‘Voice of the Global South’ Summit in January.

Some facts about African Union:

• The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.
• It was officially launched in 2002 and replaced its predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which was founded in 1963.
• The Headquarters of African Union is Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• The main working languages are French, Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Kiswahili.
• Structure:
  • Assembly: It is the highest decision-making body, consisting of the heads of state and government of member countries.
  • Executive Council: Made up of foreign affairs ministers, handles policy matters and makes recommendations to the Assembly.
  • AU Commission: Headquartered in Addis Ababa, is the administrative arm responsible for implementing the decisions of the Assembly and the Executive Council.
  • The Peace and Security Council: Responsible for maintaining peace and security on the continent.
  • The AU structure promotes the participation of African citizens and civil society through the Pan-African Parliament and the Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).

Some facts about Voice of Global South Summit

• Voice of Global South Summit was an initiative by India.
• More than 120 countries were invited to participate in this summit.
• The summit was hosted virtually.

The summit was held under the theme – ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’.