Lula officially launches Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty at G20 Summit

Brazilian presidency's initiative gains support from over 80 countries; Argentina joined at the last minute President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva officially launched the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty on Monday during the G20 Summit, marking a key initiative of Brazil’s presidency at the global forum, which has already gained the backing of more than 80 countries. In his opening speech at the summit of heads of state, the president expressed gratitude for the "generosity" of the leaders present, who will transform "Rio de Janeiro into the world's capital" over the two-day event. Initially absent from the list of participants, Argentina decided to join the initiative following the announcement. G20 Social: Final statement advocates taxing the ultra-wealthy and condemns far-right misinformation Fun in Rio: 20 paired activities for the G20 holiday weekend in Rio de Janeiro — The Alliance is born from the G20, but its destiny is global. Let this summit be marked by the courage to act. Therefore, I hereby officially launch the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty — he stated. What we will discuss here is of utmost importance, and I am confident that if we assume responsibility for these issues of hunger and poverty, we will achieve success in a short period. With Argentina's inclusion, the initiative boasts 148 founding members, including 82 countries, the African Union, the European Union, 24 international organizations, nine international financial institutions, and 31 philanthropic and non-governmental organizations. During the initiative's launch, the Brazilian president described the capital of Rio de Janeiro, "known as the Marvelous City," as the "epitome of the contrasts that characterize Brazil, Latin America, and the world": — On one side, the exuberant beauty of nature under the open arms of Christ the Redeemer, a diverse, vibrant, creative, and welcoming people. On the other, deep social injustices. A living portrait of historical and persistent inequalities. According to a recent FAO report, around 733 million people experienced hunger worldwide in 2023. This figure is equivalent to the combined populations of Brazil, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Canada, Lula highlighted. — These are women, men, and children whose rights to life, education, development, and food are violated daily — Lula added. — In a world where military spending reaches US$ 2.4 trillion, this is unacceptable. The Brazilian president noted that the G20 represents 85% of the US$ 110 trillion global GDP and accounts for 75% of the US$ 32 trillion in trade of goods and services, as well as two-thirds of the planet’s 8 billion inhabitants. — It falls to those around this table to undertake the urgent task of eradicating this shame that burdens humanity. Therefore, we have placed the launch of a global alliance against hunger and poverty as the central goal of the Brazilian presidency at the G20. This will be our greatest legacy. It is not only about doing justice. This is a necessary condition to build a more prosperous society and a world of peace. Argentina initially abstains Initially, Argentina was the only G20 member country not planning to join the alliance. The Brazilian government had known since early last week that Javier Milei's administration, which admires Donald Trump, would not support the main initiatives of Brazil's presidency at the G20. However, at the last minute, the country announced its participation after being excluded from an initial unofficial list. After confirming Argentina's inclusion, an Argentine negotiator explained the change in stance: "We are joining with our own principles and foundations regarding stable macroeconomics, investment conditions, and job creation." Milei's Argentina has its version of why the Argentine president decided to support Lula's main proposal at the Rio summit. According to Argentine sources, there was "an effort to find the creativity needed to secure Argentina's participation." In other words, the narrative from Casa Rosada is that their demands were met, prioritizing the involvement of a neighboring and significant country in the region. Another Argentine government source noted that "the alliance is flexible, and each country can choose its form of participation." Milei and Lula, whose countries share a border, have had a tense relationship since before the Argentine leader assumed power in December. The Argentine president is a critic of multilateralism and leads a stringent policy of public spending cuts amid efforts to combat inflation. The other side of his adjustments has been a severe economic recession and an 11-point increase in poverty, affecting 53% of Argentine citizens during the first half of 2024, according to official data. The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.