Argentina refuses to sign letter from G20 parliaments

Argentina refused to sign a letter of joint intent from the P20 (10th G20 Summit of Presidents of Parliaments). The document was released this Friday (8.Nov.2024), after a 3-day event in Brasília. Here is it (PDF – 452 kb).

Titled “Parliaments for a fair world and a sustainable planet”the letter follows the guidelines of the G20, a group that brings together the largest economies in the world.

The 12-page document prioritizes the fight against hunger, poverty and inequality, in addition to the search for social development in the economic, social and environmental areas. It also advocates global governance reform.

Argentina’s refusal is signaled at the end of the document: “Argentina disassociates itself from this Joint Declaration.”

It also comes with the caveat that not all participating countries support all topics.

“Due to their constitutional positions or other factors, some Speakers may not directly associate themselves with substantive policy statements and therefore this document should not be seen as indicating their specific support for all sections.”the document states.

WHAT THE LETTER SAYS

The joint statement addresses topics such as work, AI (artificial intelligence), food insecurity and the economy.

At one point, the letter asks “just energy transitions” and states that the costs of these transitions “will be substantially and disproportionately borne by developing countries”.

Here are other points:

• against poverty: “We reject the first increase in extreme poverty and inequality in more than two decades. We reaffirm that the eradication of poverty is a fundamental global challenge and a sine qua non for sustainable development”;
• artificial intelligence: “RWe know the disruptive potential of AI to widen or reduce the productivity gap between and within developed and developing countries, and to promote sustainable development. In this sense, we intend to take appropriate measures to develop safe, secure and trustworthy AI through a transparent, inclusive, ethical, responsible, trustworthy and human-centered approach”;
• reform of the WTO (World Trade Organization): “We emphasize the need to integrate the development dimension of the WTO, especially through the WTO reform process, and to make the principle of special and differential treatment better meet the needs of developing members”;
• food safety: “We call on the parliamentary community to join the global mobilization to end hunger and eradicate poverty. This must include efforts to expand humanitarian aid to countries affected by food crises”;
• work: “We reiterate our support for strengthening social dialogue, including the development of effective structures for relations between employers and workers in a way that promotes full, productive and freely elected employment, as well as decent work opportunities for all. This includes ensuring labor protection in the workplace”;
• women and work: “We commit to the full, safe, equal and meaningful participation and representation of women in political and economic life, so that they can assume leadership and leading roles in facing global challenges”;
• policies for women: “We recognize the importance of eliminating all forms of discrimination, harassment and violence, online and offline, against women and girls”;
• inclusion and gender: “We recognize the importance of strengthening and expanding the coverage of social protection programs, as part of general social inclusion measures, including adaptive social protection. Special attention should be paid to gender aspects and intergenerational issues, to make social protection programs more responsive and resilient to economy-wide shocks”;
• global warming: “We urge countries to intensify efforts, through international dialogue and cooperation, to keep the increase in the global average temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to continue efforts to limit the temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius, reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in light of different national circumstances”;

Representatives from countries such as South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, Russia, Turkey, European Union (European Parliament) and African Union (Pan-African Parliament).