Appeal for the World Trade Organisation to ensure a non-discriminatory trade environment at P20 Summit

The role parliaments can play to advance multi-lateralism in the face of growing hegemony has emerged as a strong shared view of G20 representatives at the P20 summit underway in Kleinmond.

South Africa's BRICS partners, Brazil, Russia, India and China, have all appealed for greater solidarity and pledged cooperation to tackle the problems, particularly of the Global South.

Representatives are attending the meeting, which is focused on harnessing parliamentary diplomacy to address global challenges.

China’s Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee on the National People's Congress, Zheng Jianbang, said that his country is ready to work with all countries to initiate a new momentum for global development.

Seemingly a response to new trade tariffs imposed by the United States, Zheng also appealed to the World Trade Organisation to ensure a non-discriminatory trade environment.

"The world needs justice, not hegemony. And needs fairness, and not bullying. All sides should uphold the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit."

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Russian Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachev, has defended criticism of new financial institutions like the BRICS Development Bank - saying they are designed to give developing countries equal access to financing.

"All of these are not instruments of competition but rather a fact of depoliticised mechanisms to support the countries in need."

National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza said that collective action is needed to challenge the decline of multilateralism, which is threatening the world order.