The meeting of G20 foreign ministers, which takes place this Wednesday and Thursday (21st and 22nd), in Rio de Janeiro, will not have a final statement.
The information was confirmed to CNN by a senior diplomat from Itamaraty, recognizing that the reason is the very high probability that the countries will not reach a consensus on the final text.
Traditionally, high-level diplomatic meetings end with the publication of a final document, summarizing all decisions taken by the parties and indicating future paths for resolving global problems.
The radical discrepancy of opinions between the members of the group of 20 largest economies in the world has already caused problems during the bloc's last two presidencies, in 2022, in Indonesia, and in 2023, in India.
Differences over conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and positions in relation to global governance were responsible for the meetings of foreign ministers and economy ministers, in 2023, ending without the final text – although the Indian presidency tried to maintain the practice.
The lack of documents, in 2023, led to tension among member countries and created speculation that even the summit of heads of state would end without a final text, and, therefore, without the possibility of a minimum consensus.
At the last minute, India managed to reach a consensus, greatly weakening the final declaration but saving the summit.
To avoid this type of wear and tear, Itamaraty has already decided to abolish final statements at ministers' meetings. The G20 format gives a lot of freedom to the country that presides over it to make these types of decisions.
A diplomat recognizes that “it is very difficult to reach a consensus on global agendas in a few days of meetings”.
Therefore, the Brazilian government's intention is to work throughout the year, focusing all efforts towards the summit between heads of state and government, in November 2024, in Rio de Janeiro.
Itamaraty's hope is that, by knowing in advance that they do not need to agree on texts at ministerial meetings, countries can work to reduce differences throughout the year and achieve success at the summit.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
