The G20 summit in Johannesburg delivered major wins for African countries on debt, climate and critical minerals processing, but the progress was undercut by an unprecedented US boycott.

The United States will host the event next year when it takes over the rotating Group of 20 presidency. But when the summit ended on Sunday, there was no US leader present for the ceremonial handover.

With the US a no-show, China and its allies drove the consensus on a Global South agenda that has dominated G20 summits since 2022.

The priorities included a bigger say for developing countries in international institutions, a message Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent when he addressed the leaders on Saturday.

He urged the G20 community to “accelerate the reform of institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization”.