Addressing inequality in the world will be at the centre of Brazil’s presidency of the G-20, said its President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a day after ‘symbolically’ being handed the ceremonial gavel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 10. Brazil will formally take over the Presidency in November, after PM Modi holds a virtual summit of G-20 leaders to follow up on decisions taken over the weekend in the New Delhi Declaration.
Speaking to journalists on September 11, Mr. Lula said that among the priorities for his government, apart from inequality, are the energy transition, especially the development of ethanol-based fuel that Brazil has championed, the reform of multilateral banks and the expansion of the UN Security Council. Like the Indian Presidency, Mr. Lula said Brazil would take G-20 meetings to “many Brazilian cities”, “democratise” the G-20 and make it popular amongst civil society.
“It is a lot of responsibility for Brazil to host the G-20 Summit next year. We will put the inequality issue as the core issue for the next G-20 process… inequalities of gender, race, education. We have to build an understanding that the world needs more balance in terms of the wealth distribution that is being produced,” said Mr. Lula, who belongs to the socialist left-wing ‘Workers Party’ and was re-elected President this year, after he stepped down in 2010.
