IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 525 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the African Union 

should be a permanent member of the Group of 20. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 20, 2023 

Ms. JACOBS (for herself, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Mr. ALLRED, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, and Mr. MEEKS) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the African Union should be a permanent member of 

the Group of 20. 

Whereas the Group of 20, or G20, is an important intergovernmental forum for international economic cooperation, 

and which plays a critical role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major 

international economic issues; 

Whereas, currently, the G20 represents approximately 65 

percent of the world’s population, 85 percent of the 

world’s GDP, and 75 percent of global trade; 

Whereas, currently, South Africa is the only African country 

that is a member of the G20, and approximately 96 perVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:41 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR525.IH HR525

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•HRES 525 IH 

cent of Africa’s population are not represented in the 

forum; 

Whereas the African Union is composed of 55 members, representing approximately 1.4 billion people, a population 

that is projected to grow to 2.5 billion people by 2050; 

Whereas Africa has vast, untapped economic potential, based 

on the projected sizable increase in its labor force, potential to increase value-added economic activity, a substantial natural resource base, scope for substantial growth in 

currently low average income levels, and other factors, 

but also faces complex challenges relating to its economic 

development prospects, potential climate change impacts, 

and other global policy issues, which are likely to require 

close African cooperation with other global regions to 

manage and resolve; 

Whereas 54 of 55 African Union members are signatories of 

the agreement establishing the African Continental Free 

Trade Area (AfCFTA), which entered into force in 2019 

and seeks to create the world’s largest free trade area 

and a single continental market, and expand 

intraregional trade and African trade with the world; 

Whereas the African Union established the Africa Centres for 

Disease Control and Prevention in 2016, including with 

support from the United States, and the Centres played 

a key role in the African response to the COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas the G20 has several initiatives that impact African 

countries, including the G20 Compact with Africa, which 

was launched in 2017 during Germany’s G20 presidency 

and is a joint program supported by the International 


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•HRES 525 IH 

Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank, and the 

World Bank to enhance private sector finance; 

Whereas making the African Union a permanent member 

would make the G20 representative of approximately 80 

percent of the global population; and 

Whereas, during the 2022 United States-Africa Leaders 

Summit, President Biden, asserting that ‘‘Africa belongs 

at the table in every room—in every room where global 

challenges are being discussed and in every institution 

where discussions are taking place,’’ announced United 

States support for the accession of the African Union to 

the G20 as a permanent member of the group: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the African Union’s accession into 

3 the G20 as a permanent member; 

4 (2) urges increased representation of African 

5 countries in decision-making roles within the United 

6 Nations bodies, other multilateral agencies and fora, 

7 and other elements of the global governance system; 

8 and 

9 (3) calls on the United States to use its voice, 

10 vote, and influence at the G20 to expeditiously facili11 tate the African Union’s permanent membership in 

12 the G20. 

Æ 


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