Lula advocates for “social pillar” in future G20 meetings
Participating in the closing ceremony of the G20 Social Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday (Nov. 16), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that the group has gained “a third pillar,” alongside the political and financial pillars. “Here, collective expression and will take shape, driven by the pursuit of a more democratic, just, and diverse world,” he stated.
In his speech, Lula highlighted that, for the first time, engagement groups were able to directly interact with foreign ministers, ministers, and central bank presidents from the world’s largest economies. “For the first time in G20 history, civil society from across the globe, in its many forms of organization, united to formulate and present their demands,” he said.
The president stated, “Economics and international politics are not the exclusive domain of specialists or bureaucrats. They are not confined to the offices of the New York or São Paulo Stock Exchange, nor only in the offices in Washington, Beijing, Brussels, or Brasília. They are an integral part of our daily lives, shaping and either expanding or limiting our opportunities.”
Lula emphasized that G20 members hold both “the power and the responsibility” to drive meaningful changes. He highlighted key priorities, including promoting entrepreneurship and women's economic empowerment, adopting Sustainable Development Goal 18 on racial equality, and fostering climate ambition aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“None of this would have been possible without the contributions of everyone here today. The Brazilian presidency could not have advanced its three chosen priorities without the decisive participation of the organizations and movements that form the G20 Social,” Lula emphasized, underscoring that sustained social mobilization will be crucial to:
- boost the work of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty and make progress on taxing the super-rich;
- ensure compliance with the goals of tripling the use of renewable energies and accelerating emissions neutrality;
- carry out our Call to Action for Global Governance Reform, ensuring more representative multilateral institutions.
“Brazil's presidency of the G20 will leave a robust legacy of achievements, but there is still much to be done to improve people's lives. To reach the hearts of ordinary citizens, governments need to break the growing dissonance between the 'voice of the markets' and the 'voice of the streets'. Neoliberalism has exacerbated economic and political inequality,” he added.
South Africa
During the ceremony, South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, announced that the country is prepared to host the G20 in 2025. South Africa will assume the G20's rotating presidency in December and has committed to upholding Brazil's G20 Social initiative.
“We will engage social movements—Brazil has raised the bar. We aim to ensure your participation and influence in shaping this new global framework,” he said. “Together, we will make a unified effort, fostering mutual support among member nations as we tackle shared challenges,” he added.
