G20 Foreign Ministers Meet to Address Global Challenges
Manish Shukla
The Second G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held on September 25, 2024, in New York, brought together key global leaders to tackle pressing international issues. Chaired by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, the meeting was attended by notable figures, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, UN General Assembly President Philémon Yang, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, speaking as a Troika member, emphasized India’s views on global governance reform, focusing on reforming the UN, international financial architecture, and multilateral trading systems. He highlighted the significant progress made during India’s G20 Presidency, including calls for expanded development and climate finance.
The Brazilian Presidency’s 2024 G20 Roadmap aims to create better, bigger, and more effective Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), building on the New Delhi mandate and recommendations of the 2023 G20 Independent Expert Group.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the importance of global institutions working together to address challenges like inequality, financing for development, climate crisis, and new technologies. He emphasized the need for ambitious reforms of the international financial architecture, stronger representation of developing countries, access to concessional finance, and debt relief and restructuring mechanisms.
The meeting culminated in the Foreign Ministers endorsing a Call to Action on Global Governance Reform, demonstrating their commitment to collective action. This meeting marked a crucial step towards fostering global cooperation and addressing pressing challenges.
As the world navigates complex issues, the collective commitment of global leaders will be essential in shaping a more sustainable and equitable future.
