Mazé Morais reads final declaration of the G20 Social summit

The farmer and activist, leader of and representative of national civil society in , read this Saturday (16.Nov.2024) the Final Declaration of the forum. The document brings together the main proposals from civil society developed throughout 2024.

The work was developed throughout 2024 and presented over the 3 days (14,15 and 16 Nov) of the event. The document was delivered to the president (PT) at 12pm, at the closing ceremony. Here are the topics covered:

• combating hunger, poverty and inequalities;
• sustainability, climate change and just transition;
• global governance reform.

Read the full statement:

Fighting hunger, poverty and inequality

“As a matter of urgency and top priority, it is imperative that all G20 countries and other States join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty initiative. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, this alliance must promote cooperation and intercooperation between countries and international organizations, establishing a specific fund to finance public policies and programs to combat hunger, in order to guarantee access universal to adequate nutrition. We defend food sovereignty through the production of healthy food, with the pillar of eradicating the scourge of hunger in each nation and globally. People must have recognized the right to democratized access to land and water, to control their own production and distribution of food, with an emphasis on agroecological practices and environmental preservation. The promotion of healthy eating must be central to ensuring socio-environmental justice, ensuring that all social groups, regardless of race, class, gender or origin, have equal access to environmental benefits, respecting traditional food cultures and avoiding the commodification of natural resources .

“We reaffirm the centrality of decent work, in accordance with ILO standards, as an essential element in overcoming poverty and inequalities. It is crucial to combat slave and child labor, human trafficking and all other forms of exploitation and precarious work. We emphasize the defense of the formalization of the labor market and inclusive and counter-hegemonic economies, such as the popular and solidarity economy, cooperatives, solidarity kitchens and the recognition and valorization of the care economy. It is essential to ensure that everyone, especially young people, the black population, women and the most vulnerable, have access to decent jobs, security and social protection systems and the expansion of trade union rights.

Sustainability, climate change and just transition

“The same dilemmas that affect millions of people who are victims of hunger, inequality and poverty are reflected in the lack of commitment of most developed countries and their elites to confronting climate change and global warming.

“The populations most affected by hunger and poverty are those who suffer most from climate emergencies and natural disasters, which are becoming more intense and frequent around the world.

“We reiterate the urgency of confronting climate change, with respect to science and the traditional knowledge of our people, highlighting the importance of adaptation and mitigation commitments within the scope of the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) and the Paris Agreement. It is an ethical requirement that world leaders make a firm commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, as well as protecting the oceans, essential conditions for limiting global warming to 1.5°C and avoiding irreversible damage. to the planet.

“Just transition, as a process of socioeconomic transformation towards a sustainable model, must be the guiding principle to replace the production model based on fossil fuels with a low-carbon economy. This transformation needs to confront social exclusion, energy poverty and environmental racism, and guarantee equitable conditions for workers, black people and vulnerable communities. We reinforce that this transition requires a relevant effort in environmental education, social participation and citizenship training.

“We also need to reinforce the protection of our tropical forests through the creation of the Tropical Forest Forever Fund, an international financing mechanism dedicated to their protection and socio-productive inclusion of the populations that live in them and keep them standing. This fund, added to an NCQC (New Collective Quantified Objective) for climate finance, will strengthen the global articulation necessary to preserve the environment, ensuring continued financial support to conserve biodiversity and effectively address the climate crisis.

Global governance reform

“To achieve these objectives, we demand the necessary and urgent reform of the current model of global governance, which has already proven incapable of offering answers to contemporary challenges and maintaining peace. Therefore, we emphasize the urgent need to reform international institutions so that they reflect contemporary geopolitical reality, with the promotion of multilateralism and increased participation of governments and peoples from countries in the Global South in decision-making forums. In particular, the reform of the UN Security Council is essential to guarantee the diversity of global voices and promote more balanced and effective solutions to current challenges.

“We defend that this reform embraces the premise of promoting democracy and the participation of civil society. Democracy is at risk when far-right forces promote disinformation, totalitarian and authoritarian speeches, attacking human rights and spreading lies, hatred, prejudice, xenophobia, ageism, racism and violence in social and political relations, within the borders of each country. and at the international level. Defending democracy implies defending the Democratic Rule of Law and the direct participation of the population in national and international information regulation mechanisms. The exercise of the right to transparency and plural communication ensures inclusive global governance, granting legitimacy and effectiveness to States and international organizations.

“We believe that tax justice is a fundamental tool for achieving sustainable development. Therefore, we defend the progressive taxation of the super-rich, with the guarantee that the resources collected are destined to national and international funds to finance social, environmental and cultural policies. These and all other funds claimed here must be governed by principles of transparency, control and participation of civil society.

Conclusion

“G20 leaders, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for us to take responsibility for leading a transformation that is truly profound and lasting. Ambitious commitments are essential to strengthen international institutions, combat hunger and inequality, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and protect our ecosystems. This is the time to act with determination and solidarity. With political will and the institutionalization of bodies such as the G20 Social Summit, we can indeed build a collective agenda that honors the commitment to social justice and global peace.”

G20 Social

Under the motto “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”, the final document with the collaborations of civil society will be delivered to President Lula to be analyzed by world leaders and, where appropriate, incorporated into the Leaders’ Declaration.

The event is an innovation instituted by the Brazilian government, which presides over the group for the first time since 2008, when the current format was implemented. The is made up of the 19 largest economies in the world, as well as the (European Union) and, more recently, the .

The G20 Social is held in parallel to the meeting, on Monday and Tuesday (18 and 19.Nov.2024). It aims to include the participation of non-governmental actors in G20 decisions. The 13 engagement groups that are part of G20 Social are:

• (civil society);
• (think tanks);
• (youth);
• (women);
• (work);
• (cities);
• (business);
• (sciences);
• (startups);
• (parliaments);
• (audit courts);
• (supreme courts); and
• (oceans).