"Very important milestone for our country, continent...": South African Minister Mahlobo on upcoming G20 Summit

New Delhi [India], November 19 (ANI): Mbangiseni David Mahlobo, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation of South Africa, spoke about the upcoming G20 Summit, which the country is set to host, calling it a milestone. He called for solidarity in the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism.

Mahlobo made the remarks on the sidelines of the World Toilet Summit 2025, which took place here in the national capital.

Speaking about the upcoming G20 Summit, which South Africa is hosting, he said, "It is a very important milestone for our country and our continent. It is happening for the first time. We shall be able to succeed under the theme of solidarity. We need a lot of solidarity because of the rise of unilateralism and protectionism. We also need solidarity because there is a commitment to put resources to support around the issues of climate change..."

This year, South Africa will host the G20 Leaders Summit, with President Cyril Ramaphosa presiding from November 22 to November 23 at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

The Group of 20 (G20) comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with two regional bodies, namely the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), as per MEA.

The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world's population.

Speaking on the occasion of World Toilet Day, he congratulated the Sulabh organisation, World Toilet Organisation and the government of India for hosting the important event. A lot of work has been done; you can see progress has been made by many institutions and the government of India when you made your own decision in 2014 to address your sanitation problem, because it had an impact on human dignity. It had an effect on safety, on the vulnerable community, especially women and children and also the environment."

"We are very pleased that we have been part of this movement as the Republic of South Africa. We all agree that, in terms of the SDGs, Goal 6, we have to push a little harder to ensure access to water and sanitation for all. We must be able to increase the necessary investment and partnerships that are there, but also look at the issues of mobilising communities- rural communities, indigenous communities", the South African Minister said.

He further added, "When it comes to research around kinds of new technologies, around issues of sanitation, we are leading."

The event was also attended by Union Minister CR Paatil, who participated in the World Toilet Day Summit in New Delhi. Speaking to reporters, the Union Minister said that this summit will be extremely useful in spreading awareness in the coming days. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also attended the summit.

World Toilet Day is observed every year on November 19 to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis and the importance of safe toilets for all. It was officially designated as a United Nations observance in 2013. It highlights toilets as vital for health, dignity, equality, and sustainability and directly supports Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, aiming for universal access by 2030. (ANI)

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