South African President Cyril Ramaphosa closed the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on Sunday, formally passing the Presidency to the United States, which will lead the grouping in 2026.

The ceremonial handover of the gavel has yet to occur, however, after Ramaphosa’s government declined to present it to the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Pretoria, Marc D. Dillard.

Ramaphosa made no mention of President Donald Trump or recent tensions between Washington and Pretoria as he concluded the 2025 summit. 

Instead, he urged unity, adding, “Let us move forward together, demonstrating to the world that we have the capacity to confront and overcome global challenges.”

The Trump administration has not publicly commented on the G20 Leaders’ Summit since Saturday.

The newly adopted G20 Declaration also reaffirms that members will cooperate under the U.S. Presidency in 2026, reconvene in the United Kingdom in 2027, and in the Republic of Korea in 2028. 

This pledge appears in the final document despite the U.S. absence from the Leaders’ Summit and other official discussions.