G20 Radio Bulletin 154 - At the Itamaraty Palace, Brasil officially passes the baton of the G20

Brasil's Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, and South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, participated in the Itamaraty Palace, home of national diplomacy, in the meeting that formalized the transfer of the forum's presidency, with meetings on the Finance tracks and Sherpas tracks, logistics, communication, and G20 Social. Listen to the report and learn more.

Report: Franciéli Barcellos / Rebeca Rodrigues

Lula: It is with this hope that I pass the G20 presidency on to President Ramaphosa. South Africa will be able to count on Brasil to exercise a presidency that goes beyond what we were able to accomplish.

Reporter: Those were the words of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in passing the baton of the G20 presidency from Brasil to South Africa. But the G20 did not end when Lula hit the hammer on November 19, at the end of the Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro. But until November 30, the end date of the South American country at the head of the group of the world's largest economies, other moments with the South African team are on the agenda, managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brasil.

In Brasília, at the Itamaraty Palace, home of national diplomacy in the federal capital, coordinators of the work of the G20 Brasil were able to meet with the coordinators of the G20 South Africa to detail the routines of the Sherpa and Finance tracks, as well as to better understand the challenges and the pace of communication and logistics activities. The structure of the main novelty carried out this year and to be continued next year, the G20 Social, was also discussed. 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brasil, Mauro Vieira, recalled the Brazilian performance at the head of the forum this year and pointed out the Brazilian willingness to collaborate with South Africa. 

Mauro Vieira: The very motto chosen by the South African presidency is a testament to our common goals: 'solidarity, equality and sustainability.' We therefore feel that your presidency will be able to build on what we achieved in 2024 and strengthen and expand the voices of the Global South in the coming year.

Reporter: The South African minister, Ronald Lamola, informed the country's intention to continue the Brazilian legacy. 

Ronald Lamola: We will continue to turn to you [Brasil] as members of the troika and as strategic partners and friends for guidance during this period. We believe that this is not the end, but rather a more structured form of engagement that we will continue to do.

Reporter: When discussing about the communication process, the challenge of communicating the impact of the G20 on people's lives was highlighted, as well as explaining that the forum is not only the Leaders' Summit, but the accumulation of months of technical, ministerial meetings, and side events. Projects such as Kids 20 and the partnership with Indigenous peoples to produce content in their languages were also featured in the seminar at the Itamaraty Palace.

*Translated by PGET-UFSC