JOHANNESBURG — World leaders from the Group of 20 major economies broke with tradition on Saturday by adopting a leaders’ declaration at the start of their summit in South Africa, despite the United States boycotting the two-day meeting in a deepening diplomatic rift with Pretoria.

South African presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the declaration was adopted unanimously by attending members at the opening session in Johannesburg.

Final declarations are typically issued at the end of G20 summits.

Details of the document were not immediately released, but South Africa hailed its adoption as a milestone for the first G20 summit ever held on the African continent, with Pretoria pushing to place the concerns of developing countries — including climate resilience, debt relief, and inequality — at the center of global discussions.

The summit’s opening was briefly overshadowed when closed-door remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa were mistakenly broadcast, capturing him telling leaders they would “adopt our declaration now,” before aides alerted him that cameras were still on.

Although South Africa said the declaration was endorsed by all attending members, Argentina — represented by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno after President Javier Milei skipped the summit in solidarity with President Donald Trump — said it did not support the document.

The U.S. absence has shaped the summit’s dynamic. President Trump ordered a boycott over claims that South Africa is discriminating against its white minority and objected to Pretoria’s focus on climate policy and global inequality.

South African officials said Washington had pressured them not to issue a leaders’ declaration in the absence of an American delegation.

Still, some leaders sought to shift focus away from the U.S. boycott.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he regretted Trump’s absence but insisted it “should not block us,” emphasizing the urgency of cooperation on global challenges.

South Africa, which holds the rotating G20 presidency, is pressing for commitments to help vulnerable nations recover from climate disasters, transition to green energy, reduce debt burdens, and harness critical mineral resources.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he hoped the G20 would address long-standing demands from developing nations, adding: “South Africa has done its part in putting those things clearly on the table.”

The diplomatic friction between Washington and Pretoria has built over months, and South African officials expressed frustration that Ramaphosa is expected to hand over the G20 presidency on Sunday to a junior U.S. Embassy representative. The Foreign Ministry called the arrangement an “insult” and said it may decline to hold a formal handover ceremony.

The G20, which includes 19 nations along with the European Union and the African Union, represents roughly 85% of the world economy and operates on consensus — a feature that often complicates decision-making across its politically diverse membership, including the U.S., China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, and the leading European economies.

The U.S. is scheduled to take over the G20 presidency from South Africa at the close of the summit. — Agencies