The recent G-20 Summit in South Africa will be remembered not only for the historic decisions taken, but equally for the loud, symbolic silence created by the absence of United States President Donald Trump, or even a high-level US delegation. It was a vacuum that everyone felt, a political absence that lowered the temperature of the event, diminished its traditional stature, and, yet, paradoxically empowered the rest of the world to move forward without waiting for Washington’s approval.
A gathering once shaped, dominated and animated by American leadership unfolded without it — and the world did not stop. In fact, it moved with surprising confidence and determination, proving for the first time in decades that global cooperation no longer revolves around a single pole of power.
Trump’s official explanation for skipping the summit was both extraordinary and controversial. He had alleged that South Africa was maltreating, harassing and killing its white population of British, French, European and American origin, and that the US boycotted the gathering in protest. This justification stunned the world of diplomacy.
But, instead of waiting, or putting on hold critical decisions, G-20 moved on, signalling a shift: the world’s most influential economies were no longer willing to freeze or dilute their agenda because the US chose not to show up.
The summit scored several major breakthroughs. Africa achieved its long-awaited elevation as a permanent force within the grouping. The Global Debt Relief Framework 2.0 was adopted, which is a unified system for restructuring debt for developing nations.
The group finally agreed on a shared code of conduct for artificial intelligence (AI) development, data transparency, cybersecurity protocols, and cross-border data flows. The most visionary outcome, however, was the creation of a $120 billion Green Energy Transition Fund, which aims at helping developing and least-developed countries move away from fossil fuels and adopt alternative sources.
While the US debates climate strategies, the G-20 chose global environmental responsibility as a collective mission. The same was the case with trade tariffs and a universal pathogen-sharing system to improve the world’s preparedness facing pandemics in future.
Washington’s non-participation deprived the summit of its traditional weight, but it gave the rest of the world a rare freedom. For the first time, the G-20 showed that global governance can continue even when America chooses not to lead.
This absence also reflects a deeper American decline. The US has already withdrawn from key United Nations bodies, distanced itself from multilateral structures, and ceded leadership of global organisations to others.
Across Europe and beyond, intellectuals are questioning the legitimacy of veto powers at the UN Security Council. Economists are also sounding alarms about the US dollar, noting that global confidence in the dollar as a reserve currency is eroding. History teaches that such erosion is initially slow and subtle — as was the case with the British pound — until one day it becomes sudden and irreversible.
The G-20 Summit in South Africa was, therefore, more than a diplomatic event; it was a mirror held up to the US. A country that once led the free world with great confidence is now drifting towards isolation, controversy and self-inflicted decline. The world has shown that it can move forward without the US.
QAMAR BASHIR
ISLAMABAD
