Brazil’ Resurgence and Leadership in the G20: forging global bridges in a shifting world order
Feliciano de Sá Guimarães is Academic Director at CEBRI (Brazilian Center for International Relations) and Professor at the University of São Paulo. Beatriz Pfeifer is Project Coordinator at CEBRI. This text was originally written for issue 85 of the WBO Newsletter, published on September 22, 2023. Fill in the form at the bottom of the text to access and subscribe to the WBO weekly newsletter in English.
As of December 1, 2023, the presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) will transition from India to Brazil, marking a significant moment in the evolving landscape of global governance. In the coming year, Brazil will serve as the host for over hundreds of meetings, a critical opportunity to address the increasingly fragmented global governance system and to advocate for issues vital to its interests. This role also allows Brazil to strengthen its position as a global player, with President Lula highlighting key priorities including inequality, sustainable development, and reform of global governance. Brazil's unique position places it as a potential bridge-builder between the G7 and BRICS nations across these critical areas. With the conclusion of India's G20 presidency, the world's attention is now firmly fixed on Brazil, the third Global South nation to chair the G20 in a sequence that includes Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa.
The G20 comprises the world's 20 largest economies, providing a crucial platform for coordinating global policies on matters such as trade, financial regulation, and climate change. Initially established in 1999 as a forum for central bankers and ministers from the most influential industrialized economies, its significance grew in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 global economic and financial crisis. Over time, the G20's agenda expanded to encompass a wide range of socio-political issues, including the Syrian Civil War, the refugee crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite representing approximately two-thirds of the world's population, contributing to over 75 percent of global trade, around 85 percent of global GDP and generating 78 percent of global carbon emissions, the G20 faces challenges stemming from deep divisions within its members’ economies. Recent events, such as the War in Ukraine and the U.S.-China competition, have created obstacles to achieving consensus, underscoring the forum's vulnerability.
“Brazil, under President Lula’s leadership, has reclaimed its place on the global stage. Lula’s positive interactions with other world leaders have elevated Brazil’s international standing, setting the stage for a transformative G20 presidency”
During his nine months in office, President Lula has reaffirmed Brazil's commitment to democracy, fostered the European Union-Mercosur free trade agreement, expanded BRICS by welcoming new member countries, and navigated global political tensions like the U.S.-China rivalry and the war in Ukraine. Under his leadership, Brazil has been actively reintegrating itself into the global stage as a valuable diplomatic force, recognizing the increasingly multipolar nature of the world, and the G20 offers an ideal platform to further enhance its influence.
At the New Delhi Summit, Brazil's presidency outlined three key priorities: social inclusion and the fight against hunger; the energy transition and sustainable development across social, economic, and environmental dimensions; and reforming global governance institutions. President Lula stressed the importance of preventing geopolitical matters from dominating the forum's agenda, emphasizing, "a divided G20 is of no interest to us." Joint action, he believes, is essential to address the challenges of our time. Eight decades after the historic Bretton Woods summit in 1944, the 2024 G20 presents an opportunity for Brazil to leverage its history as a peaceful power and a mediator to drive progress, even amid differences.
A stark contrast to the past, Brazil's previous president, Jair Bolsonaro, appeared isolated at the 2021 G20 conference and was notably absent from the 2022 Indonesia Summit. In 2023, Brazil, under President Lula's leadership, has reclaimed its place on the global stage. Lula's positive interactions with other world leaders have elevated Brazil's international standing, setting the stage for a transformative G20 presidency. By emphasizing peace and cooperation as fundamental to the coming year's proceedings, Brazil has the potential to enhance the legitimacy of the G20 as a platform for international cooperation, contributing to the development of a multipolar world order and reaffirming its status as a global influencer. The greatest challenge ahead will be to act as a bridge between the G7 and the rest of the G20 nations.
