G20 Foreign Ministers Convene in Rio de Janeiro Amidst Global Conflicts and Reform Aspirations
Rio de Janeiro hosted foreign ministers from the G20 nations on Wednesday as they convened to discuss global conflicts and deliberate on avenues for strengthening multilateral organizations. The meeting precedes Brazil's annual leaders' summit, where President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva has emphasised the reform of global governance as one of the G20's top priorities this year.
Despite addressing critical issues such as climate change and poverty alleviation, the diplomatic gathering faces challenges in advancing proposals for enhancing global governance, particularly in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the war in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with President Lula in Brasilia en route to the Rio meeting, expressed U.S. support for the G20 presidency agenda. According to spokesperson Matthew Miller, this agenda aims to combat hunger and poverty, confront the climate crisis, and enhance the effectiveness of global governance.
However, discussions were not limited to the G20 agenda, as Secretary Blinken talked with President Lula regarding the conflict in Gaza. Tensions arose following Lula's recent comparison of Israel's actions in Gaza to the Nazi genocide during World War Two, leading to a diplomatic spat and the recall of Brazil's ambassador by Israel.
Mauricio Lyrio, Brazil's G20 sherpa, emphasised the urgent need for global governance reform, citing the unprecedented proliferation of conflicts in a world with "no governance." Lyrio noted the consensus on reforming the United Nations, particularly Brazil's advocacy for the expansion of the Security Council. However, he acknowledged divergences among nations regarding specific changes at the U.N.
"This meeting will essentially be a venting session to build the case for multilateral reform and diagnose the problem," remarked a European diplomat to Reuters.
The two-day meeting in Rio commenced with an open discussion on the global situation and ongoing conflicts, including those in Ukraine and Gaza. Notably, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who last met briefly in New Delhi last year, faced each other across the table. However, no formal meeting was planned between the two diplomats.
Brazil proposed a second G20 foreign ministers' meeting in September during the U.N. General Assembly in New York as an innovative step. The additional meeting aims to advance talks on global governance, with all U.N. member states invited to participate.
The G20, representing a substantial portion of the global economy, trade, and population, continues to grapple with the pressing need for multilateral cooperation amid a backdrop of escalating conflicts and diplomatic challenges.