The timing could not have been better as Africa continues to seek a more important role on the global stage and presses for meaningful roles in the global bodies that long represented a now faded post-World War 2 order, including the United Nations Security Council.

A big moment at the Group of 20 (G20) Summit, indeed, after the unanimous approval of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of what is now the G21!

The G20 is (was) a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 19 sovereign countries and the European Union (EU) and now the AU (the other members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa -- the AU's only G20 member with $399-billion GDP -- South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States, with Spain invited as a permanent guest).

Formed in 1999, the G20 works to address major issues related to the global economy and promotes global economic growth, international trade, international financial stability, regulation of financial markets, climate change mitigation and sustainable development.

Because the G20 is an intergovernmental forum, not a legislative body, its agreements and decisions have no legal impact, but they do influence countries' policies and global cooperation.

Together, the economies of the G20 countries represent more than 80% of the gross world product (GWP), 75% of world trade and 60% of the world's population.

After its inaugural leaders' summit in...