G20: Brazil reiterates its support for the reform of the United Nations Security Council

23-02-2024

Júlia Barreto Reis

International Justice Team Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence

On February 21st and 22nd, 2024, Brazil hosted the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting for the first time during its presidency of the group. The two-day event took place in Rio de Janeiro and was attended by the 19 largest economies in the world, the European Union, the African Union, 11 countries, and 13 international organisations. The G20 members collectively represent approximately 85% of the global economy.

Discussions were marked by debates on the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. In the opening speech of the plenary session, the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, asserted that multilateral institutions are inadequately equipped to address current challenges. He highlighted the unacceptable paralysis of the United Nations Security Council regarding ongoing conflicts, which directly leads to the loss of innocent lives. The need for a profound overhaul of multilateral organisations, especially the Security Council, is one of Brazil's key agendas during its G20 presidency.

Brazil advocates for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to establish a more democratic environment in the Security Council. Proposed changes include an increase in the number of permanent members, the inclusion of countries such as Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, and representatives from Asian and African countries, and the elimination of the veto power.

According to the Chief of Diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, the proposal put forth by the government of President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva is "very good." According to him, there is significant power disparity leading to dysfunctionality in the Security Council, as the five permanent members possess veto power, even if others support a particular agenda.

This marks Brazil's first time holding the G20 presidency in its current format, with the term lasting for one year, concluding on November 30, 2024. In 2025, the presidency of the group will be transferred to South Africa. During this period, Brazil is expected to focus discussions on its foreign policy interests, including the reform of the Security Council, as evidenced in the recent G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro—an issue that has been extensively revisited by Brazil over the past few years.

Sources and further readings:

G20, 'G20 - Brasil 2024' https://www.g20.org/en/ accessed 23 February 2024.

Agência Brasil, 'UN Reform: One of Brazil's Priorities at G20 Meeting' (21 February 2024) https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/internacional/noticia/2024-02/un-reform-one-brazils-priorities-g20-meeting accessed 23 February 2024.

Associated Press, 'Brazil Uses G20 Summit to Highlight Poverty, Hunger' (22 February 2024) https://apnews.com/article/brazil-g20-summit-poverty-hunger-conflicts-8ac88642118c7ee3de10b381ccf1c329 accessed 23 February 2024.

Le Monde, 'G20: Brazil Calls for Reform of United Nations' (22 February 2024) https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/02/22/g20-brazil-calls-for-reform-of-united-nations_6547356_4.html accessed 23 February 2024.