MURO Make the unimportant relevant once

The G20 is a fascinating group. Comprising nations that either dominate the world or aspire to, it's easy to highlight its extreme influence—both economic and military.

Right now, all eyes are on Baku, Azerbaijan, hosting COP 29, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the G20 summit is taking place. The G20 represents the world’s twenty largest economies, and in both settings, we see the far-reaching shadow this group casts on global affairs. For better or worse, the state of the world today is shaped by the power dynamics of the G20.

But this article is not about who holds power. It’s about those countries that aren’t part of the conversation.

These nations lack nuclear weapons, large military forces, or a seat at the UN Security Council. They rarely appear on any global rankings, never make headlines for their Olympic performance, and aren’t featured in films—except, perhaps, in exoticized portrayals. They may not even have participated in the World Cup. Often, they find themselves caught in conflicts, but only as either victims or pawns in someone else's war—after all, the ambition to win wars belongs to those with power.

In the environmental sphere, these countries are largely innocent. They haven’t been major contributors to the environmental crises we face, such as climate change, and they aren’t key exporters of fossil fuels, meat, or weapons. When it comes to climate change, they belong to a category known as ELNG—“Everything to Lose, Nothing to Gain.” Historically, like in many other areas, they are bound to be the victims of the environmental disaster set in motion by the G20.

In essence, these are countries held hostage by the decisions of the powerful.

The fundamental irony of gatherings like the G20 and COP is simple: if the global crises we face were created by the powerful nations in these groups, how can we trust them to resolve the very problems they helped cause? It’s no accident that Papua New Guinea pulled out of COP, calling it a waste of time.

Perhaps due to geographical or cultural distance, these "unimportant" countries haven’t realized that they, too, are in the same boat—one that is rapidly sinking. For the countries outside the G20, the most effective solution would be for them to meet as equals, to come together and strategize, without the influence of the powers that be.

No, these countries don’t have the leverage of the G20, but if united, they could challenge the terms imposed upon them by the world’s great powers. The actions they could take might not solve all their problems, but they could make their voices heard in ways that matter. Taxation on imports, carbon taxes, political alliances—these are just some of the strategies that could be pursued outside the framework of the G20, including COP meetings, where their concerns are often ignored.

Of course, within the so-called "G180"—the countries outside the G20—there’s significant diversity. There are wealthy enclaves and tax havens that essentially serve as extensions of the G20. The African Union and the European Union are represented in the G20, but they too contain nations with widely divergent interests. Some countries outside the G20, are major fossil fuel exporters, such as Qatar, or global troublemakers, like North Korea.

I’ve included a list of the countries I'm referring to at the end of this article. Feel free to critique my classification of them.

As a Brazilian—one of the nations in the G20—it’s important to recognize that many people within G20 countries feel just as marginalized as those outside of it. Countless citizens feel unrepresented by the elites who hold power in the country. They face oppression, just as many outside the G20 do.

But the central message of this article remains. For the countries that have “everything to lose and nothing to gain.” Do not expect the Superpowers to solve your problems. To be ironic with a leader of one of the G20’s empires: make the unimportant relevant once. MURO. It’s an idea worth considering.