Speech by Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit

My dear friends,

Once again, I would like to reiterate my congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the excellent work he and his team have done during the Indian presidency.Now, only a few weeks after our last face-to-face meeting, the world is even more complex. Geopolitical rivalries persist, the global economy is slowing down, and the consequences of climate change are happening over and over again.

The resurgence of the conflict in the Middle East adds to the multiple crises we were already facing.

I want to congratulate all those involved for the agreement that was announced today between Israel and Hamas. It means the release of hostages (women and children) in exchange for a temporary 4-day truce and the release of Palestinian prisoners (women and children). I hope that this agreement can pave the way for a political and lasting solution to this conflict, and for the resumption of the peace process between Israel and Palestine.

This set of challenges will require political will and determination on the part of governments and leaders of all countries and international organizations. Through dialogue, we must put the world back on the path to peace and prosperity.

The G20 has a central role to play. In a few days, we will begin the Brazilian presidency — in which the reduction of inequalities will be the guiding principle.

As I said in New Delhi, we chose three lines of action to structure the group’s work:

(i) social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty;

(ii) energy transition and sustainable development; and

(iii) global governance reform.

The motto of the Brazilian presidency – "building a just world and a sustainable planet" – reflects these priorities.

We are creating two task forces, one Against Hunger and Inequality and the other Against Climate Change. We will also launch a Bioeconomy Initiative.

We will seek concrete results that generate benefits for the poorest and most vulnerable across the planet. The G20 will help leverage ongoing multilateral initiatives.

We need to recover the triple dimension of sustainable development and accelerate the pace of implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Brazil will host COP30 in 2025: the first COP in the Amazon.

We want to work in the G20 to get there with an ambitious climate agenda that ensures the sustainability of the planet and the dignity of people. This will only be possible by seriously addressing debt, access to financing, and progressive taxation mechanisms.

We will also discuss how to strengthen global governance to deal with old and new issues. A greater diversity of voices must be taken into account. This is why we celebrate the incorporation of the African Union as a full member of this Forum. Brazil is aware of the size of its responsibility.

As of December 1, we will publish the calendar and conceptual notes that will guide the work in the various bodies of the G20.

On December 13, I will receive representatives from the Political and Finance Tracks in Brasília. We want to encourage greater coordination between both tracks.

The technical groups and preparatory ministerial meetings will be hosted in several cities in all five regions of our country.

Young people, women, workers, businesspeople, indigenous peoples, parliamentarians, scientists, academics, and representatives of all other vulnerable groups need to be heard as creators and beneficiaries of sustainable development.

In this way, we will ensure broad social participation in the work of the G20 and will host a Civil Society Summit prior to the Leaders' Meeting.

I will have the honor of welcoming you to Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.

Thank you very much.