Group of 20 (G20) leaders issued a declaration in which they reaffirm their commitment to cooperate in addressing serious global economic challenges, including those related to food and energy security, climate change, biodiversity loss, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the digital transformation.

The G20 Summit convened under the theme, ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger,’ in Bali, Indonesia, from 15-16 November 2022.

Noting that the Summit was taking place at “the most pivotal, precarious moment in generations,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on G20 leaders to respond to “an SOS” from the SDGs and to support governments of the Global South in tackling the climate crisis, prevent famine and hunger, bolster the energy transition, and promote the digital transformation.

The 52-paragraph G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration highlights the “unparalleled multidimensional crises” such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, which have hindered the achievement of the SDGs. Most members “strongly condemn” the war in Ukraine and its impacts on the global economy, “constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks.” The document also notes “other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions.”

The Declaration states that members remain committed to support developing countries, particularly the least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS), in responding to global challenges and achieving the SDGs. They will do so by, inter alia:

• Making public investments and structural reforms, promoting private investments, and strengthening multilateral trade and resilience of global supply chains, to support long-term growth, and sustainable and inclusive, green, and just transitions;
• Protecting macroeconomic and financial stability;
• Taking action to promote food and energy security and support stability of markets;
• Unlocking further investments for low- and middle-income countries through a greater variety of innovative financing sources and instruments, including to catalyze private investment to support the achievement of the SDGs; and
• Recommitting to accelerate achievement of the SDGs, achieving prosperity for all through sustainable development.

On energy, leaders underscore the urgency to “rapidly transform and diversify energy systems,” to advance energy security and resilience and market stability, and stress “the importance of ensuring that global energy demand is matched by affordable energy supplies.”

On climate, they further reaffirm their commitment to strengthening “the full and effective implementation” of the Paris Agreement on climate change and its temperature goal, “reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in light of different national circumstances.”

On biodiversity and a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, members will step up efforts to: halt and reverse biodiversity loss, including through nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches; support climate change mitigation and adaptation; enhance environmental conservation and protection, sustainable use, and restoration; reduce ecosystem degradation; enhance ecosystem services; and address issues affecting the marine and coastal environment. They indicate they will scale up efforts to restore “degraded land to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030, and in support of the G20’s ambition to reduce land degradation by 50% by 2040 on a voluntary basis,” and “welcome the WTO
multilateral Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and encourage its rapid entry into force.”

In their Statement, leaders also recognize the importance of digital transformation in reaching the SDGs and “encourage international collaboration to further develop digital skills and digital literacy to harness the positive impacts of digital transformation, especially for women, girls, and people in vulnerable situations.”

In mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders commit to support strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth. They also “remain committed to a human-centered, inclusive, fair, sustainable approach that leads to greater social justice, decent work, and social protection for all.”

Among the documents the Indonesian G20 Presidency issued in advance of the Summit was the ‘2022 G20 Bali Update on the G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and G20 Development Commitments,’ to support deliberations on SDG-related issues.

The document showcases the collective actions and commitments, including sector-specific actions that will foster stronger recovery and build resilience, financing for sustainable development, and G20-specific support to developing countries for COVID-19 recovery and the SDGs. It also updates on progress made on each of the G20’s development commitments made since the establishment of the Development Working Group in 2010. According to the assessment, five are “completed,” 31 are “on track,” and no commitments are found to have resulted in “no progress.”

The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, the US, and the EU. [G20 Indonesia] [UN News Story]