In his closing speech at the G20 Social, the Brazilian president stated that “governments need to break the dissonance between the voice of the market and the streets”
The president (PT) declared this Saturday (16.nov.2024), in the closing speech of the , that “economics and international politics are not the monopoly of experts and bureaucrats” and that people need to “shout, protest and demand, otherwise things won’t happen”.
Lula asked that the G20 Social also take place in the next editions of the summit. It was he himself who created the event, in December 2023, in New Delhi (India). On that occasion, Brazil symbolically assumed the rotating presidency of the group. From December 1st, South Africa will preside over it.
Without mentioning the PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) which proposes to end the the president said that the G20 needs to debate a series of measures to promote “more balanced working hours”. The proposal, headed by deputy (Psol-SP), intends to reduce this working day to 36 hours per week. Here’s the (PDF – 175 kB).
“In each country we have a huge number of people who are treated as if they were invisible. These are the people that governments don’t want to see. They are the people who appear in the statistics, everyone knows they exist, but they are neglected in the budgets of city halls, states and the Union”, declared the PT member.
Watch the G20 Social closing ceremony (1h22min):
FINAL STATEMENT
The Final Declaration of the G20 Social Summit was made by civil society organizations this Saturday (Nov 16, 2024), during the last day of the conference that started on Thursday (Nov 14). The text is a conclusion to the debates held between NGOs and urges G20 leaders to engage in a “effectively possible and lasting transformation”.
The G20 Social document was delivered this Saturday afternoon to President Lula and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (Central African National Congress, center-left). The African country will preside over the summit in 2025.
The text calls on G20 countries and other States to agree on a global alliance to combat hunger and poverty through the creation of a universal fund to achieve this objective. It also defends the practice of agroecological production to preserve the environment and combat degrading employment models, such as slave and child labor.
READ THE FULL DECLARATION:
“The G20 Social Summit, held between the 14th and 16th of November, in Rio de Janeiro, at the end of the broad G20 Social participation process, convened by the Brazilian Presidency of the G20, addresses world leaders, who will meet between the November 18th and 19th, at the G20 Summit, the following declaration on the main proposals of global civil society, agreed upon during the work carried out throughout the year, around the three central themes of the Brazilian presidency of the G20:
- Combating Hunger, Poverty and Inequality;
- Sustainability, Climate Change and Just Transition;
- Global Governance Reform“.
WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE SPEAK FROM
“We represent social movements and civil society organizations from Brazil and the world, gathered at the end of intense participatory processes, which sought to give voice to the most diverse segments of global society, frequently impacted, but rarely heard in major geopolitical and macroeconomic decisions led by a select group of representatives.”
“During these months of work, we sought to incorporate the demands, claims and proposals historically constructed by organizations and movements of women, black men and women, original and indigenous peoples, traditional communities, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, young people, children, adolescents, elderly people , displaced or homeless populations, migrants, refugees and stateless people, workers in the countryside and cities, in the formal, informal, solidarity and care economy. Everyone is calling for a reform of global governance that ensures the end of armed conflicts, development and socio-environmental justice for themselves and the entire planet.”
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, based on the production of healthy food, as a pillar to eradicate 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 social justiceenvironment, 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 appreciation 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 the majority of 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 tackling climate change, with respect for science and the traditional knowledge of our people, highlighting the importance of adaptation and mitigation commitments within the scope of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 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 damage irreversible 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 Fund Forever (TFFF), 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 a New Collective Quantified Target (NCQC) 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.”
“Thus, we emphasize the urgent need to reform international institutions so that they reflect contemporary geopolitical reality, with the promotion of multilateralism and expanded participation of governments and peoples of 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, providing 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 like the G20 Social Summit, we can. yes, build a collective agenda that honors the commitment to social justice and global peace.”
