Africa's first G20 summit opens with an ambitious agenda and a U.S. boycott

The first Group of 20 summit to be held in Africa opened on Saturday with an ambitious agenda to make progress on solving some of the long-standing problems that have afflicted the world's poorest nations

The first Group of 20 summit to be held in Africa opened on Saturday with an ambitious agenda to make progress on solving some of the long-standing problems that have afflicted the world's poorest nations.

Leaders and top government officials from the richest and leading emerging economies came together at an exhibition center near the famous Soweto township in South Africa, once home to Nelson Mandela, to try and find some consensus on the priorities set out by the host country.

Many of South Africa's priorities for the group, especially a focus on climate change and its impact on developing countries, have met resistance from the United States, which is boycotting the talks.

As he opened the summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his speech that "consensus has emerged" and appeared to indicate that a declaration would be adopted in the absence of the U.S. and despite its opposition.

South Africa, which gets to set the agenda as the country holding the rotating presidency, wants leaders to agree to more help for poor countries to recover from climate-related disasters, reduce their foreign debt burdens, transition to green energy sources and harness their own critical mineral wealth — all in an attempt to counter widening global inequality.