By Smartencyclopedia SNBNewsdesk with Agencies
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – World leaders convened in Rio de Janeiro this week for the 2024 G20 Summit, with Brazil emphasizing the fight against global hunger amid the backdrop of major geopolitical conflicts and the looming return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened the summit with a call to action against food insecurity, launching the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. “It is for those of us here, around this table, to face the undelayable task of ending this stain that shames humanity,” Lula said in his address at the Rio Museum of Modern Art. The initiative has already garnered the support of 82 nations.
Tensions and Divergences
The summit unfolded against a challenging international backdrop. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East dominated the agenda, but divisions among member states dampened expectations for a unified declaration condemning the conflicts. Argentina, under right-wing President Javier Milei, opposed proposals for a global tax on the super-rich and clauses on gender equality, stalling consensus on key draft statements.
“Brazilian diplomacy has been strongly engaged in this task, but to expect a substantively strong declaration in a year like 2024, with two serious international conflicts, is to set the bar very high,” noted Cristiane Lucena Carneiro, a professor of international relations at the University of São Paulo.
The U.S. and the Trump Factor
U.S. President Joe Biden, attending the summit after the APEC forum in Lima, announced an additional $50 million contribution to the Amazon Fund, reinforcing efforts to combat deforestation. Biden also used the summit to champion Ukraine’s sovereignty and to call for collective action to alleviate global hunger.
However, Biden’s presence was overshadowed by the impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory earlier this month. Experts expressed concerns that Trump’s “America First” policies could undermine multilateral efforts. “If we have one certainty, it is regarding Donald Trump’s skepticism towards multilateralism,” said Carneiro.
A Divided Stage
Russian President Vladimir Putin was notably absent, represented instead by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, due to an ICC arrest warrant. Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking a thaw in British-Chinese relations after years of tension.
Protests and Public Voices
Outside the summit, protests erupted in solidarity with Gaza. Hundreds of demonstrators, including religious leaders, gathered to call attention to the crisis, adding a grassroots voice to the global discourse.
Despite the challenges, Lula emphasized optimism and Brazil’s leadership role. His rallying cry, “Brazil is back,” reflected the country’s ambition to bridge divides and spearhead global efforts to address food insecurity, climate change, and inequality.
As the summit concludes, questions remain about the feasibility of broad agreements in a fractured geopolitical landscape, particularly as nations brace for a return to Trump-era unilateralism.
For more information on the G20 Summit 2024, visit official website.