Brazilian proposal strives to unlock negotiations

The G20 Sherpa meeting will separate the geopolitical debate in order to move forward with the construction of consensus. The meeting also innovates by integrating the Finance Track and direct interaction between civil society group representatives.

Brasil's goal for the G20 is to keep geopolitical disagreements from impeding progress and preventing ministers from producing agreed-upon documents in their respective fields. The strategy of dividing the documents into separate statements was implemented during the third G20 Sherpas meeting, which took place in Rio de Janeiro from July 3 to July 5. Country representatives also discussed climate change, inequality, and other sensitive issues in order to open up negotiations, qualify global governance, and promote concrete actions. The meeting was notable for its innovations, such as a session with Finance Track representatives and an event with the unprecedented participation of the G20 Social Engagement Groups. 

The Brazilian G20 Sherpa, Ambassador Mauricio Lyrio, summarized the three days of the event this Friday afternoon. The meeting began with a briefing session on the groups' progress on the two main trails: the Sherpa Track and the Finance Track. Ambassador Tatiana Rosito, responsible for economic issues, and Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago presented a detailed briefing and listened to some of the discussions. The opening session also highlighted Mobilization against Climate Change and the launch of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty at the end of July. 

The second day was dedicated to discussing geopolitical issues, which are widely regarded as the most contentious on the global agenda. "One of the goals of this meeting was to allow the working groups' results to be approved by everyone, and to obtain documents from the ministers themselves," Lyrio informed the audience. Since 2022, an impasse in the documents has prevented the publication of joint statements, and the expectation is to move forward with clear proposals for bloc action.

The Brazilian presidency innovated by promoting direct interaction between G20 Sherpas and Engagement Group coordinators—such as groups of women (W20), young people (Y20), scientists (S20), unions (L20) and businesspeople (B20).  The session received contributions from civil society, aligning G20 actions with people's everyday interests. To the ambassador, this process was welcomed by everyone and will bring the “G20 closer to society”.

The final day of the meeting was spent planning the next steps towards the summit in November. Discussions about the structure of the future leaders' declaration, ministerial meetings, and the need to produce tangible results were all important. 

The meeting is an important step in the preparation for the G20 Summit, promoting an objective dialogue around countries’ proposals, and reflects the Brazilian presidency's commitment to a G20 that is closer to the needs of the population.

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