Welcome to today's podcast episode, this is your host Amaya. And today we'll be discussing the recent inclusion of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G20, a group of the world's richest and most powerful countries. This significant development took place at the request of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hosted the G20 Summit.

The African Union is a group of 55 African nations, representing approximately 1.4 billion people and around 10% of the world's economy. Until now, Africa had only been marginally represented within the G20 through South Africa's seat. With the AU's inclusion, the G20 will now have more than 20 members, marking the end of the G20 as we know it.