This week, we unpack the major storylines emerging from the G20 Summit — the first ever held on African soil — where South Africa used its presidency to spotlight debt, inequality, climate, and critical minerals, even as the United States chose not to attend. With global development at an inflection point, leaders leaned into questions of how multilateralism must evolve as the global south asserts greater influence.

With the humanitarian system stretched thin and displacement at record highs, we also examine the race to lead the UN Refugee Agency. A crowded field — largely European, with one notable African contender — is competing to guide the agency through a period of severe funding constraints and rising political pressures.

During the conversation, we dig into what South Africa’s G20 agenda signals for future global cooperation, what’s at stake in the UNHCR leadership contest, and how shifting power dynamics could reshape the development landscape in the years ahead.

To break down these stories and more, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with colleagues Elissa Miolene and Colum Lynch for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series.

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