G20 foreign ministers met in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday February 21 to discuss poverty, the climate crisis and growing global tensions.
The annual presidency of the bloc was assumed by Brazil, which presented its priorities. The country has notably advocated for strengthened representation of developing nations in global governance institutions and multilateral banks.
“The Brazilian presidency of the G20 focuses on three main priorities: the fight against hunger, poverty and inequality; sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions; and reform of global governance,” said Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.
This meeting of top diplomats comes as global conflicts appear to be intensifying. The Brazilian minister stressed that more than 2,000 billion dollars per year are spent in military budgets globally, when this money could be allocated to development and aid programs.
“Brazil is deeply concerned about the current international peace and security situation. By some estimates, we have reached a record number of ongoing conflicts around the world, more than 170, while geopolitical tensions are also increasing. »
Representatives of the 20 main rich nations have set a work program for the coming months in preparation for the summit on November 18 and 19 in Rio. Finance ministers and central bank presidents will meet in Sao Paulo next week.
Earlier in the day, Brazilian President Lula met with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken in the capital, Brasilia, for about two hours to discuss global governance and other issues.
At the same time, footage of G20 foreign ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro was released, providing a visual overview of these important discussions.
To find out more about the issues discussed during this meeting and the objectives defined, we invite you to consult the following links to other articles already published on the blog.