South Africa’s G20 Social Summit opened this week with a clear and urgent message from children across the continent saying meaningful global change is impossible without the voices of young people whose futures are shaped by today’s decisions.
Fourteen-year-old Amogelang Mashele, president of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament, expressed her eagerness to deliver the Children20 Declaration to President Cyril Ramaphosa later this week.
Speaking on SABC ahead of the summit, Mashele said she was honoured by the responsibility and was determined to be heard.
“As children, we deserve to be heard. We deserve to be included in decision-making. [To the] president, I hope that you take our message seriously and take the Children20 Declaration to the main G20 summit,” she said.
Mashele was joined by 16-year-old fellow member of the Children’s Parliament, Sesona Qhimngqoshe, who delivered an impassioned call for global leaders to recognise children as equal partners in shaping policy.
“I want to say to the children of South Africa and the rest of the world that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. We want to be included. We can fight for inclusion,” said Qhimngqoshe.
“Can the G20 leaders sit down and this year officially make Children20 part of the formal engagements in each G20, so next year we can hand it over to the children of the US?”
Qhimngqoshe pleaded with the president to take the voices of children seriously.
“Mr President, Your Excellency, please take our declaration with care and with consideration and try to fill the G20 official declaration with the children’s demand more than the other discussions.”
On the weekend of November 15-16, children from across South Africa and others joining virtually from across Africa gathered in Johannesburg for the Children 20 Pre-Summit.
It was here where they debated and drafted a bold, clear set of demands to be presented during the G20 Social Summit.
The engagement created a structured space for children to examine the same themes guiding the main summit, which are economic justice, digital governance, early childhood development and climate resilience.
Through creative dialogue and peer-led discussions, they drew on their lived experiences to shape a declaration they hope will influence global policy.
Qhimngqoshe highlighted that these platforms matter because they mean children get to voice their own concerns instead of being spoken for by other people.
“It means for children it’s a platform where we can raise our concerns with regard to the global stage … To be part of G20, I think is a special thing,” she said.
Mashele emphasised that children must be involved because global decisions directly affect them.
“The decisions that are going to be made are going to shape their future so they should also take part in decision making,” said Mashele.
To ensure broader participation, Qhimngqoshe said, she took to social media to gather young people’s concerns before the summit.
“The 50 of us that are at the summit can’t obviously cover the entire country, but we can surely try using social media,” she said.
She acknowledged the challenges of children in rural areas without digital access.
“It is a difficulty, and it’s one of the things that we are discussing in our declaration,” she said.
Climate resilience emerged as one of the most urgent themes as children from Kenya shared stories of climate disasters, prompting Qhimngqoshe to reflect on the severe risks for young people.
“The most devastating part is that children can die from it. You can get diseases, buildings can crumble and fall on kids [which] increases the child death rate. It [can also] affects their mental health. In South Africa, there’s not much support when it comes to climate change disasters.”
Throughout the summit, children’s recommendations will be elevated through four official side events which include:
- Early Childhood Development Event (Hosted by PMNCH) supported by the Global Leaders’ Network under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership, emphasises the foundational importance of early learning, maternal wellbeing, and investment in women, children and adolescents.
- Adolescents, Participation and Agency Session, which will focus on institutionalising youth engagement in policymaking.
- Digital Safety and Access Dialogue, which will explore safe digital ecosystems, regulation and equitable access.
- Additional Technical and Child-Led Dialogues, which will unpack barriers to justice, inclusion and child protection.
On November 20, International Children’s Day will be observed, and the summit will coincide with the launch of Unicef’s and the South African government’s State of the World’s Children 2025 report.
The publication, which centres on child poverty, calls for greater investment in social protection and other proven interventions. Aligning its release with the G20 Social Summit elevates child poverty as a political priority.
The G20 Social Summit will conclude on International Children’s Day and children, led by Mashele, will hand their declaration to Ramaphosa.
For many of these young leaders, the moment represents not only a milestone but a step toward institutionalising children’s participation at the highest global level.
As Mashele reminded leaders: “As children, we deserve to be heard.”
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