Intervenção do Ministro Mauro Vieira por ocasião da Segunda Reunião de Ministros das Relações Exteriores do G20 - Nova York, 25 de setembro de 2025

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me, first of all, to thank South Africa for organizing this second G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 2025, here at the United Nations, building upon the initiative of the Brazilian G20 Presidency in 2024.

When Brazil organized this event, for the first time, exactly one year ago, the idea was to combine the relevance of G20 on international economic cooperation with the importance of the UN as the center of the international multilateral system. It is a pleasant development to see this view taking root.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The theme chosen for the South African G20 Presidency this year - "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability" - highlights the connection between individuals, society, and the environment.

We commend South Africa's focus on "inclusive economic growth", with an emphasis on employment, fighting inequality and promoting industrialization.
I would also like to commend South Africa for choosing "food security" as one of the main themes in its G20 Presidency. Hunger and poverty remain among the greatest challenges faced by humanity in the 21st century. This is inacceptable.

To face this problem with concrete measures, the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty was launched at the G20 Leaders' Summit held in Rio de Janeiro last November.

As of now, the initiative has gathered 198 members, with all G20 members, as well as international organizations and financial institutions. On behalf of the Brazilian Government, I extend my gratitude to all those present that have supported the Alliance since its inception.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In 2024, while the global economy grew by 3.2%, military expenditures surged by 9.4%, reaching US$ 2.7 trillion. Meanwhile, official development assistance (ODA) fell by 7.1% that same year.

By fueling conflicts and perpetuating cycles of violence and inequality, excessive military expenditures undermine the very foundations of the just, secure, and peaceful world we seek to build.

Brazil strongly opposes the use of military force to resolve disputes. To counter this, we must strengthen global cooperation. As outlined in our "G20 Call to Action on Global Governance Reform" - adopted last year in this very meeting -, the international system should be based on the UN Charter and international law, with modernized institutions and fairer representation that reflects today's world.

As we witness the proliferation of deliberate attacks on the United Nations and international law, the very foundations of the multilateral order agreed upon in 1945 are at unprecedented risk. Therefore, those who reject the 'rule of force' must stand together and send a strong message of commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

In celebrating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, we must recommit to the charter´s purposes and principles and reflect on how to make this organization more capable to deliver on these foundational objectives.

We now need a fit-for-purpose United Nations whose actions and initiatives are firmly grounded on the notion that there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.

The crisis in multilateralism is also evident in the current situation of the World Trade Organization. The paralysis of its dispute settlement mechanism has allowed for further trade fragmentation and to the proliferation of unilateral measures, some of which being misused in attempts to interfere in domestic affairs of states. On the negotiation pillar, core areas of interest for developing countries are yet to be addressed.

The refounding of the WTO is urgent, and Brazil is working on a proposal that we hope will be able to foster this debate. The full engagement of the international community is essential to face these challenges and rebuild a multilateral system that is fair, inclusive and effective.

Ladies and gentlemen,

During our G20 Presidency in 2024, Brazil worked hard to address such key global issues, as well as to enact concrete contributions to helping alleviate hunger, poverty, and inequality, securing climate financing and supporting the much-needed reforms of global governance architecture.

I am confident that we will be able to considerably step up our efforts and, once again, deliver tangible results, given the robust priorities set out by South Africa's G20 Presidency.

I thank you.