The Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA) is participating in the Social Summit of the G20, taking place this week for the first time on the African continent, Dzvinka Kachur, UWC Regional Vice President for Africa and co-founder of UAZA, reported.
“We are raising awareness about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its wide-ranging impact on the international financial system, the UN system, food security, as well as climate and energy security,” Kachur said.
The Group of Twenty is an international forum that assembles the world’s major economies to discuss global economic issues and coordinate policy. It includes 19 countries in addition to the European Union.
The summit will see representatives from governments, civil society, and international organizations.
“The current G20 chair, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and last year’s chair, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, addressed the participants,” UAZA said.
Discussions at the summit focus on achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), addressing climate challenges, and ensuring a secure energy transition.
“Yet, despite these positive intentions, Russia, a G20 member, continues to devastate progress on the SDGs and work directly against the core objectives of the G20,” UAZA said.
The association highlights the consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine, which, it says, destroys the foundation of global stability and contradicts the mission of the G20.
On the day the summit opened, Russia carried out another airborne strike on Ukraine: on Nov. 19, killing 26 civilians, including three children, in the western city of Ternopil, and 93 were injured. Rescue operations are ongoing, and the death toll has risen to 31, local authorities reported.
“These attacks underscore the complete incompatibility of Russia’s presence in the G20 with its values,” UAZA said.
The association also draws attention to the global impact of Russia’s war, including destabilization of energy and food markets, disruption of climate commitments, nuclear security threats, and the abduction of over 19,500 Ukrainian children.
UAZA calls on G20 countries to end cooperation with Russia, expel it from the platform, and halt economic relations with a state that has waged a colonial war on its neighbor for 11 years.
The organization also urges reform of the UN Security Council, limiting veto powers, and adopting international rules that prohibit attacks on civilian nuclear facilities. Furthermore, G20 must condemn Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s agricultural and energy infrastructure, strengthen measures against hybrid threats, and issue a joint statement condemning the use of force to alter borders.
This year, the G20 in South Africa focuses on Africa’s development, poverty reduction, strengthening food and energy security, and supporting developing nations. UAZA emphasizes that these goals cannot be achieved without ending Russian aggression and restoring international security.
