The 19th G20 summit recently concluded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

About Rio G20

• Theme: “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”.
• Host Country: Brazil
• Location: Museum of Modern Art (MAM), Rio de Janeiro
• Participants: 19 member countries and two regional bodies i.e. the European Union, the African Union.
• Key Priorities: The Brazilian G20 Presidency has focused this year’s work on three priorities:
  • Social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty; 
  • Sustainable development, energy transitions and climate action;
  • The reform of global governance institutions.
• Significance: 
  • It was the first G20 summit to be hosted in Brazil.
  • The Rio summit marks the first time the African Union will participate as a full member, as it was inducted only last year during the gathering in New Delhi.

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Key Highlights of the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration

• Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty: It is a global initiative launched by Brazil during its G20 presidency. 
  • Goal: Its primary goal is to eradicate hunger and poverty worldwide by 2030. 
  • Three Pillars: The alliance operates on three pillars:
    • National Coordination: Strengthening national policies and strategies to address hunger and poverty.  
    • Financial Mobilisation: Raising funds to support initiatives and programs aimed at reducing hunger and poverty.  
    • Knowledge Integration: Sharing knowledge and best practices to improve the effectiveness of interventions.  
  • Headquarters: The technical headquarters will be at Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) i.e. Rome, Italy, but with functional autonomy. 
  • India’s Role: India is an active member of the Global Alliance and has committed to supporting its goals.
  • Strategic commitments:
    • Expanding cash transfer programs to reach 500 million people
    • Providing school meals to an additional 150 million children
    • Assisting 200 million children up to age 6 and pregnant women with health programs.
• Lebanon and Gaza Ceasefire: 
  • Affirmation of Palestinian Rights
    • Recognises and affirms the Palestinian right to self-determination (It grants people the ability to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development without external interference).
    • Reiterates commitment to a two-state solution, envisioning Israel and a Palestinian State coexisting peacefully.
  • Support for Comprehensive CeasefiresIn Gaza:  Comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza in line with UN Security Council Resolution n. 2735
    • In Lebanon: Comprehensive ceasefire enabling safe return of citizens on both sides of the Blue Line.
• Status of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Call for speedy implementation of the G20 2023 Action Plan on Accelerating Progress on the SDGs. 
  • Timeframe: Only six years remain to achieve the 2030 Agenda for SDGs.
  • On-Track Targets: Progress is on track for just 17% of the targets.
  • Limited Progress: Nearly 50% of targets show minimal or moderate progress.
  • Stalled or Regressed: Over one-third of targets have either stalled or regressed.

• Commitment to Food Security and Nutrition: The G20 reaffirms its commitment to food security, nutrition, and the progressive realisation of the right to adequate food, as outlined in the Deccan High-Level Principles, 2023.
• Inclusion of SDG 18 (Sustainable Development Goal), on ethnic-racial equality : A new SDG, focusing on ethnic-racial equality, was officially included as a key element among the G20 priorities. 
• Ukraine War Impact: The war has worsened human suffering and disrupted global food, energy security, supply chains, and financial stability.
  • G20 supports constructive peace efforts aligned with the UN Charter to promote peaceful relations.
• Efforts against corruption and related illicit financial flows: By making the best use of GlobE Network and other international anti-corruption networks.
• Taxation: Committed to engaging cooperatively to ensure effective taxation of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and advocated for progressive taxation.

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• Climate Change: The summit launched the Global Task Force for Climate Change Mobilization to strengthen climate financing, especially in developing countries.
  • It also reaffirms the G20’s ambition to voluntarily reduce land degradation by 50% by 2040. 
  • The countries also pledge to take steps to prevent, manage, and address the negative impacts of extreme droughts and wildfires.
  • There is a plan to  establish the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) and acknowledge the Facility as an innovative tool for forest conservation.
• Effective Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs): G20 endorses a roadmap to enhance MDBs’ effectiveness, financial capacity, and alignment with SDGs.

Challenges Faced By the G20 Grouping

• Diverging Economic Interests: The G20 represents a diverse set of economies, from advanced nations to emerging markets.
  • Balancing these divergent interests to reach a consensus can be a significant challenge.
  • The G20 operates on a consensus model, which can slow down decision-making. 
• Geopolitical Tensions: Geopolitical rivalries, such as the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, as well as issues in the Middle East, have the potential to disrupt G20 deliberations and consensus building.
  • These Geopolitical conflicts exacerbate food fuel and fertiliser shortages, impacting developing nations and hindering efforts to fulfil food security commitments.
• Climate Change Commitments: While climate change is a central theme for the G20, achieving binding agreements on climate finance, fossil fuel subsidies, and emission reductions is challenging.
• No binding enforcement mechanisms: The G20’s lack of a legally binding structure often leads to unfulfilled commitments, as agreements depend on voluntary pledges, lacking accountability for implementation.
• Underrepresentation of the Global South: While some emerging economies are included, smaller and less-developed nations remain underrepresented, limiting the G20’s focus on issues such as debt relief and equitable development.
• National Sovereignty vs. Global Cooperation: The G20, by nature, requires member states to negotiate on global issues that may challenge national sovereignty. 
  • This can be especially contentious when discussing topics like global taxation, climate change, and trade agreements. 

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Way Forward

• Address Hunger, Fuel, and Fertilizer Crisis: Enhance collaboration with international organisations to address shortages, especially in developing regions. 
  • Initiatives like the Global Hunger and Poverty Alliance and the Millet Initiative should be expanded.
• Ensure Accountability: Create mechanisms to monitor and ensure effective implementation of G20 commitments with clear targets and timelines.
• Enhance Representation: Advocate for better representation of developing nations in global decision-making and multilateral institutions.
• Promote Fair Trade: Address protectionism and reform trade rules to foster inclusive global economic growth.
• Foster Diplomatic Dialogue: Encourage peaceful resolutions, dialogue and negotiations for ongoing conflicts, like Ukraine and the Middle East, without hindering global cooperation.

Conclusion

By 2026, with all G20 countries having held the presidency at least once, this milestone marks an opportunity to reinforce the group’s collective commitment to driving global progress and fostering inclusive development.

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