The leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) have reaffirmed their “commitment to building a just world and a sustainable planet, while leaving no one behind.” Placing “inequality, in all its dimensions, at the center of the G20 agenda,” the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration reaffirms the leaders’ commitment to fostering urgent action to achieve the SDGs through socially just, environmentally sustainable, and economically sound measures.

The 22-page outcome document is guided by the Brazilian G20 Presidency’s priorities of: social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty; sustainable development, energy transitions, and climate action; and the reform of global governance institutions. It underscores that the leaders will continue to promote “strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, address cost of living pressures, safeguard fiscal sustainability and mitigate negative spillovers.”

To support social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty, the declaration highlights the launch by the G20 of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty. The Alliance will support the implementation of country-led, country-owned, large-scale, and evidence-based programs through strategies such as cash transfers, development of homegrown school feeding programs, improving access to microfinance and the formal financial system, and social protection.

The leaders also endorse the Rio de Janeiro G20 Ministerial Declaration on International Tax Cooperation. Recognizing progressive taxation as a key tool to reduce domestic inequalities, strengthen fiscal sustainability, and facilitate the achievement of the SDGs, they undertake to “seek to engage cooperatively to ensure that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are effectively taxed.”

To support the promotion of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems that are inclusive, integrated, sustainable, and gender-responsive, and help build resilience to the impacts of biodiversity loss, climate change, environmental degradation, and other challenges, the leaders welcome the Call to Action on Strengthening Drinking Water and Sanitation and Hygiene Services.

To support sustainable development, energy transitions, and climate action, the leaders “reaffirm [their] respective commitments to scale up urgent action to address the crises and challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, ocean and land degradation, drought and pollution.” They pledge to accelerate the reform of the international financial architecture and look forward to a successful new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG) outcome at the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

With regard to reform of global governance institutions, the Declaration states that “[t]here will be no sustainability nor prosperity without peace.” It outlines the leaders’ commitment to the reform of the UN, the international financial architecture, and the multilateral trading system (MTS).

This year’s Summit convened from 18-19 November, taking place concurrently with the 2024 UN Climate Conference.

The G20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, and the US, as well as the African Union (AU) and the EU.

Invited to the 2024 G20 Summit were Angola, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, the Holy See, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uruguay, and Viet Nam.

The G20 leaders will meet in South Africa in 2025 and in the US in 2026. [G20 Brazil]