Taking place under the slogan ‘Building a just world and a sustainable planet’, the summit in Brazil is gathering leaders from the globe’s 20 largest economies.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has landed in Brazil on Monday to join world leaders at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, before later heading to Costa Rica and Colombia for bilateral discussions.
“Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will participate tomorrow, Monday, in the G20 summit, at the invitation of His Excellency President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of the friendly Federal Republic of Brazil,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement on Sunday.
The statement added that Sheikh Tamim will then visit San Jose and Bogota where “he will meet the leaders of the two countries and their senior officials to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in various fields”.
The Qatari leader will also attend the ceremony of the eighth edition of the “Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Anti-Corruption Excellence Award” in Costa Rica.
Established in 2015 at the eighth Conference of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities in Russia, the award exhibits Qatar’s commitment to the prevention of corruption.
Addressing global challenges
Taking place under the slogan ‘Building a just world and a sustainable planet’, the summit in Brazil is gathering leaders from the globe’s 20 largest economies, which account for around 85 percent of the world’s gross domestic product.
Last year’s summit took place in New Delhi where leaders discussed the ongoing Russian war on Ukraine, sustainable growth, climate change and gender equality among others.
The latest edition of the summit will center on global challenges, including climate change, inclusion and geopolitical tensions, namely the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The summit is taking place amid Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza, which have drawn widespread condemnation, as well as escalating violence in Lebanon and the continuing conflict in Sudan.
Lula, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, had labeled the Israeli aggression on Gaza as a genocide last year on October 26.
Under his first rule between 2003 and 2010, Lula’s administration had recognised Palestine’s statehood under the 1967 border, a move that angered Israel and its staunchest ally, the United States.
During his visit to Palestine in 2010, the first Brazilian head of state to do so, Lula said he dreamt of “an independent and free Palestine”.
‘Diplomatic leverage’
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters ahead of the summit, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the participating countries to “tackle global problems”.
He also called on the countries to “race much faster to tackle fundamental common challenges” including growing conflicts, inequality as well as hunger and poverty.
“G20 countries, by definition, have tremendous economic clout. They wield massive diplomatic leverage. They must use it to tackle key global problems,” he said.
He also underscored the importance of adhering to the UN charter globally.
“Everywhere, peace requires actions grounded in the values of the UN Charter, the rule of law, and the principles of sovereignty, political independence and the territorial integrity of states,” Guterres said.
The event in Rio de Janeiro will also witness the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, a Brazilian initiative aimed at garnering global support in the fight against hunger and poverty by 2030.
