G20 Summit Calls for More Aid to Gaza and an End to the War in Ukraine

Rio De Janeiro: Leers of world's 20 major economies called for a global pact to combat hunger, more aid for war-torn Gaza and an end to hostilities in Mideast and Ukraine, issuing a joint declaration Monday that was heavy on generalities but short of details on how to accomplish those goals.

joint statement was endorsed by group members but fell short of complete unanimity. It also called for a future global tax on billionaires and for reforms allowing eventual expansion of United Nation Security Council (UNSC) beyond its five current permanent members.

At start of three-day meeting which formally ends Wednesday, experts doubted Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could convince assembled leers to hammer out any agreement at all in a garing rife with uncertainty over incoming ministration of US President-elect Donald Trump, and heightened global tensions over wars in Mideast and Ukraine.

Argentina challenged some of language in initial drafts and was one country that did not endorse complete document.

“Although generic, it is a positive surprise for Brazil,” said Thomas Traumann, an independent political consultant and former Brazilian minister. “re was a moment when re was a risk of no declaration at all. Despite caveats, it is a good result for Lula.” Condemnation of wars, calls for peace, but without casting blame Taking place just over a year after October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, declaration referred to “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and escalation in Lebanon,” stressing urgent need to expand humanitarian assistance and better protect civilians.

“Affirming Palestinian right to self-determination, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to vision of two-State solution where Israel and a Palestinian State live side by side in peace,” it said.

It did not mention Israel's suffering or of 100 or so hostages still held by Hamas. Israel isn't a G20 member. war has so far killed more than 43,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials, and more than 3,500 people in Lebanon following Israel's offensive against Hezbollah, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

omitted acknowledgment of Israel's distress appeared to run contrary to US President Joe Biden's consistent backing of Israel's right to defend itself. It's something Biden always notes in public, even when speaking about deprivation of Palestinians. During a meeting with G20 leers before declaration was hammered home, Biden expressed his view that Hamas is solely to blame for war and called on fellow leers to “increase pressure on Hamas” to accept a cease-fire deal.

Biden's decision to ease restrictions on Ukraine's use of longer-range US missiles to allow that country to strike more deeply inside Russia also played into meetings, “ United States strongly supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Everyone around this table in my view should, as well,” Biden said during summit.

Russian President Vlimir Putin did not attend meeting, and inste sent his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. Putin has avoided such summits after International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant that obliges member states to arrest him.

G20 declaration highlighted human suffering in Ukraine while calling for peace, without naming Russia.

“ declaration avoids pointing finger at culprits,” said Paulo Velasco, an international relations professor at State University of Rio de Janeiro. “That is, it doesn't make any critical mention of Israel or Russia, but it highlights dramatic humanitarian situations in both cases.” entire declaration lacks specificity, Velasco ded.

“It is very much in line with what Brazil hoped for ... but if we really analyse it carefully, it is very much a declaration of intent. It is a declaration of good will on various issues, but we have very few concrete, tangible measures.” Fraught push to tax global billionaires declaration did call for a possible tax on global billionaires, which Lula supports. Such a tax would affect about 3,000 people around world, including about 100 in Latin America.

clause was included despite opposition from Argentina. So was anor promoting gender equality, said Brazilian and or officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because y weren't authorized to speak publicly.

Argentina signed G20 declaration, but also h issues with references to UN's 2030 sustainable development agenda. Its right-wing president, Javier Milei, has referred to agenda as “a supranational programme of a socialist nature.” It also objected to calls for regulating hate speech on social media, which Milei says infringes on national sovereignty, and to idea that governments should do more to fight hunger.

Milei has often opted a Trump-like role as a spoiler in multilateral talks hosted by his outspoken critic, Lula.

Concrete steps for fighting global hunger Much of declaration focuses on ericating hunger — a priority for Lula.

Brazil's government stressed that Lula's launch of global alliance against hunger and poverty on Monday was as important as final G20 declaration. As of Monday, 82 nations h signed onto plan, Brazil's government said. It is also backed by organisations including Rockefeller Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A demonstration Sunday on Rio's Copacabana beach featured 733 empty plates spre across sand to represent 733 million people who went hungry in 2023, according to United Nations data.

Viviana Santiago, a director at anti-poverty nonprofit Oxfam, praised Brazil for using its G20 presidency “to respond to people's demands worldwide to tackle extreme inequality, hunger and climate breakdown, and particularly for rallying action on taxing super-rich.” “Brazil has lit a path toward a more just and resilient world, challenging ors to meet m at this critical juncture,” she said in a statement.

Long-awaited reform of United Nations Leers pledged to work for “transformative reform” of UN Security Council so that it aligns “with realities and demands of 21st century, makes it more representative, inclusive, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable.” Lula has been calling for reform of Security Council since his first two terms in power, from 2003 to 2010, without gaining much traction. Charged with maintaining international peace and security, its original 1945 structure has not changed.

Five dominant powers at end of World War II have veto power — US, Russia, China, Britain and France — while 10 countries from different regions serve rotating two-year terms.

Virtually all countries agree that nearly eight deces after United Nations was established, Security Council should be expanded to reflect 21st century world and include more voices. central quandary and biggest disagreement remains how to do that. G20 declaration doesn't answer that question.

“We call for an enlarged Security Council composition that improves representation of under-represented and unrepresented regions and groups, such as Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean,” declaration said.

United States announced shortly before a UN summit in September that it supports two new permanent seats for African countries, without veto power, and a first-ever non-permanent seat for a small island developing nation. But Group of Four – Brazil, Germany, India and Japan – support each or's bids for permanent seats.

And larger Uniting for Consensus group of a dozen countries including Pakistan, Italy, Turkey and Mexico wants ditional non-permanent seats with longer terms.