Minister Richmond to attend G20 Development Ministerial meeting in South Africa
- Published on: 24 July 2025
- Last updated on: 24 July 2025
Following visits to Zambia and Zimbabwe over the past week, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, will attend the ministerial meeting of the G20 Development Working Group (DWG) on Friday 25 July, 2025 in South Africa.
For South Africa, development-related issues and the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals are a priority during their Presidency of the G20, under the theme of ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’.
The ministerial meeting will consider a variety of issues including a commitment to providing universal social protection, addressing illicit financial flows as a means of enhancing domestic resources for development financing, and the provision of global public goods.
Minister Richmond said:
"Ireland is honoured to be taking part as a guest country during South Africa’s G20 Presidency. Ireland’s participation is a sign of Ireland’s deep relationship with South Africa, and countries across the continent.
"We are delighted with the focus taken on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly as Ireland played such a pivotal role in agreeing these. We do recognise that much needs to be done to deliver the goals in the next five years, and the work of the G20 has the potential to contribute to this.
"This focus taken during the South African G20 underlines a strong commitment to reaching those furthest behind first, something very much in line with our own policies.”
ENDS
Press Office
24 July 2025
Notes
The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising the world’s leading economies to discuss international economic and financial stability. It was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis of 1997/98.
The G20 comprises of 19 sovereign countries, the African Union and the European Union. G20 members represent around 85% of the global Gross Domestic Product, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
South Africa holds the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024 through to November 2025 under the theme ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’.
Ireland became an invited member of the G20 in December 2024 for the term of the South African Presidency, which runs to the end of November 2025.