Brazil expressed its disappointment with the United Nations Security Council’s lack of action on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine during the opening of a G20 meeting. The meeting in Rio de Janeiro brought together foreign ministers from the world’s largest economies, but divisions within the international community were evident.
Brazil’s top diplomat, Mauro Vieira, stated that international institutions like the UN are ill-equipped to address the current challenges, pointing to the Security Council’s inability to take decisive action on the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Vieira emphasized that this paralysis is resulting in the loss of innocent lives.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, also highlighted the crisis facing multilateralism.
The Security Council has been unable to respond effectively to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine due to Russian veto power. Similarly, it has struggled to address the war in Gaza, with the United States using its veto power to block calls for a ceasefire.
Brazil, as the current president of the G20, hoped that the group could provide a platform for progress on these issues. However, former Brazilian president Lula’s controversial comments accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza may undermine efforts to de-escalate the conflict through the G20.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with Lula before the G20 meeting, expressed disagreement with Lula’s comments. Despite ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, prospects for peace appear bleak.
Brazil also aims to prioritize the fights against poverty and climate change during its G20 presidency. While bilateral meetings will take place on the sidelines of the gathering, tensions between the US and Russia make a Blinken-Lavrov encounter unlikely.
The G20, established in 1999, brings together major economies to discuss economic matters but has increasingly taken on a role in global politics. The Brazilian government has decided not to require joint statements from every meeting except the annual leaders’ summit in November.
