Johannesburg — The Government of South Africa, under its Presidency of the G20, has officially endorsed the Children20 (Ch20) as one of formal engagement groups of the G20 Social Summit. This marks a historic milestone in global governance and child rights advocacy, ensuring that the voices, experiences, and priorities of children are embedded in one of the world’s most influential economic and political forums. The South African Presidency builds on the foundation laid during the Brazilian Presidency of the G20 in 2024. On 29 May 2024, joint correspondence addressed to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by leading child rights organisations called for the meaningful inclusion of children and adolescents in the G20 process.
The Secretariat of Children20, which is hosted by the South African National Child Rights Coalition uses the co-leadership model designed to balance power between children and adults, ensuring accountability and inclusivity across the African Continent and the Global South. As such Children20 Secretariat includes both National, Regional and Global Child Rights Organisations with Mr Kgomotso Montsho as its chairperson assigned to provide overall vision and coordination for the Pre-Summit, representing the Children20 in official G20 engagements, and Mr Anzio Jacobs as its Sherpa who serves as chief negotiator and policy lead, ensuring alignment with G20 processes and drafting the Children20 Declaration.
Children20 is a dedicated platform for children and adolescents to co-shape policy recommendations that address interconnected challenges of inequality, mental health and wellbeing, poverty and food insecurity, digital inclusion and safety, climate justice, health, quality education, gender equality and inclusion, social protection and innovative financing for children. These thematic focus areas are directly informed by the Children in G20 Policy Pack from Brazil, which consolidated child-centred policies across sectors represented in the G20. The themes represent both the priorities of children globally, and are areas where G20 action can have the most transformative impact.
“This step is not symbolic – it is transformative. By creating a formal G20 track for children, South Africa affirms that children are not only beneficiaries of global policies but also active participants in shaping them,” said Anzio Jacobs, Sherpa for the Children20 track.
The Presidency notes, “that the participation of children, especially in decision-making that impacts their lives, is embedded in the Presidential-led National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC) and Children20 is an important step for us as a country as we adopt an all of society approach to prioritise children at the highest levels.”
The Global Leaders Network, chaired President Cyril Ramaphosa, is a united force of sitting Heads of State and Government to improve the health and well-being of women, adolescents and children across the world and has pledged global leadership to take bold accelerated action for children. Children20 is in itself a step forward towards this bold action.
The Children20 has a clear roadmap to guide its activities throughout the coming months, notably the media launch, thematic working groups co – creation virtual workshop, Children20 Pre- Summit scheduled for 15 – 16 November 2025 in Johannesburg, ahead of the G20 Social Summit. Children across South Africa and Africa, will engage in structured dialogues to produce a Children’s Declaration for consideration by G20 Leaders.
Children20 will conclude its series of activities by actively participating at the G20 Social Summit, which will be concluded by the launch of The State of the World's Children 2025 Report under the leadership of UNICEF.
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