As the curtains were drawn on the 19th G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 19, the collective aspiration of the participants was the implementation of key resolutions that would change the face of the world.

The G20 leaders, in their final declaration, called for a ceasefire in Gaza, advocating taxing the super-rich, promoting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and gender equality.

The global eggheads reaffirmed that all states must act consistently with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in its entirety.

They stated that all states must refrain from threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state.

“We are united in support of a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, in compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, and in Lebanon, allowing citizens to safely return home on both sides of the Blue Line,” the G20 leaders declared.

They affirmed the Palestinian right to self-determination, and reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution, where Israel and a Palestinian state lived side by side in peace.

For an equitable world, the G20 leaders drew the gauntlet against the super rich, proposing that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are “effectively taxed,” even though respecting their fiscal sovereignty.

They said this would be achieved through cooperation, which may involve exchanging best practices, stimulating debate on tax principles, and developing mechanisms against tax evasion, including addressing potentially harmful tax practices.

In the face of multifaceted crises, where political and geopolitical tensions threaten the ability to tackle challenges such as promoting growth, reducing poverty, and combating climate change, the G20 leaders advocated multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow and strengthening global governance for present and future generations.

In their final declaration, they stated that “there will be no sustainability or prosperity without peace” and recalled that the G20 was born out of financial and economic crises.

The G20 leaders were also concerned about the rapid advancement of AI, which promises prosperity and the expansion of the global digital economy.

The global leaders urged safe, secure, and trustworthy development, deployment and use of AI, insisting that such deployment should guaranty human rights protection, transparency and explainability, fairness, accountability, regulation and safety.

The group added that appropriate human oversight, ethics, biases, privacy, data protection, and data governance must be addressed.

The G20 leaders also cited their total commitment to gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls by promoting equality in paid and unpaid care work to ensure the full and meaningful participation of women in the economy.

They said this would promote social and gender co-responsibility, encourage and facilitate the equal involvement of men and boys in care work, and challenge gender norms that hindered equitable distribution and redistribution of care responsibilities.

The summit highlighted the 2024 motto: “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet,” focusing on reducing inequalities and fostering socially just and environmentally sustainable actions.

The G20 leaders were also keen on protecting the environment, declaring their renewed commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century and to significantly increase renewable energy and global energy efficiency by 2030.
The summit also launched the Global Task Force for Climate Change Mobilisation to strengthen climate financing, especially in developing countries.
The declaration states that countries will strive to mobilise new and additional financing from all sources for forests, including concessional and “innovative” financing for developing countries.
Fittingly, the G20 leaders inaugurated the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, to promote strategies like income transfers, school feeding programmes, and access to microcredit for the poor and vulnerable.
The G20 leaders’ declaration reinforced the need to modernise the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to promote a rule-based, fair, and sustainable multilateral trading system.
“The G20 supports a reform in the dispute resolution system accessible to all members and highlighted the role of trade in inclusive economic growth.
“Ensuring level playing fields and fair competition consistent with the WTO rules is essential to guarantee prosperity and foster a conducive environment for trade and investment for all.
“We reiterate the centrality of the WTO’s development dimension,” the leaders stated.
The G20 countries advocated an expanded composition of the Security Council to enhance the representation of underrepresented and unrepresented regions and groups, such as Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
They also highlighted the need for resilient health systems, sustainable financing, and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, especially for neglected diseases.
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria could not agree any less. He said the G20, having admitted the African Union as a group member, should expand its permanent and non-permanent member categories to reflect the world’s diversity and plurality.
“The Security Council should expand its permanent and non-permanent member categories to reflect the world’s diversity and plurality better.
“Africa deserves priority in this process, and two permanent seats should be allocated to it with equal rights and responsibilities. Nigeria stands ready and willing to serve as a representative of Africa in this capacity,” said Tinubu.

Indeed, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil believes that the G20 members have the power and responsibility to transform many lives across the world.

He enjoined members to foster entrepreneurship and economic autonomy for women, as championed by the Women’s Empowerment Working Group.

If the declarations of the G20 leaders, rising from their just concluded summit in Rio de Janeiro are implemented, the world may not remain the same again. (NAN)

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