WORLD leaders from the Group of 20 rich and developing economies broke with tradition and adopted a declaration at the start of their summit in South Africa on Saturday despite opposition from the United States.

The US is boycotting the two-day talks in a diplomatic rift with the host country and had put pressure on South Africa not to adopt a leaders’ declaration in the absence of a US delegation, South African officials said.

Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said that a leaders’ declaration was adopted unanimously by the other members at the start of the talks in Johannesburg.

Declarations are usually adopted at the end of G20 summits.

The 122-point declaration urged more global action on issues that specifically affect poor countries, like climate-related disasters and sovereign debt levels, and was promoted by the hosts as a victory for the first G20 summit to be held in Africa.

South Africa’ss summit had an ambitious agenda to make progress on solving some of the long-standing problems that have afflicted the developing world, and leaders and top government officials came together at an exhibition centre near the township of Soweto, which was once home to Nelson Mandela.

Many of South Africa’s priorities, especially a focus on climate change and confronting global inequality, met resistance from the US. But as he opened the summit, President Ramaphosa said that “consensus has emerged.”

While President Ramaphosa’s spokesperson said the declaration was unanimous, Argentina said it did not endorse it.

Argentine President Javier Milei did not attend the summit in solidarity with his ally President Trump, and the country was represented by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno.

The G20 is actually a group of 21 members that comprises 19 nations, the European Union and the African Union.

The bloc was formed in 1999 but largely operates in the shadow of the Group of Seven imperialist powers.