Remarks by Minister Carlos França at the first working session of the G20 Meeting of Chancellors and Ministers of Development: Multilateralism and global governance – Italy, June 29th, 2021

Fellow Ministers of Foreign Affairs,

Leaders of international organizations,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to take part, for the first time, in this meeting of G20 Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

I have no doubt that, in these times of multiple crises, the G20 has a central role to play in support of global governance and multilateralism.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the surface the need and urgency to reform international systems and organizations. We must work together for this goal in an inclusive and constructive manner, based on the lessons learned and with a view to a more resilient and sustainable future, so that multilateral systems and organizations may be better prepared for future challenges.

In a renewed, post-COVID multilateralism, international organizations shall be more effective, more transparent and more accountable to governments and to societies at large.

Brazil has been engaged in and is very supportive of the current process to reform the Global Health system, with the World Health Organization at its core. We must be better prepared to quickly detect and respond to new sanitary threats and crises. We need more resilient health systems and diversified production chains of vaccines, inputs and other health-related materials and equipment.

Nevertheless, in the short term, we have a more urgent task at hand. The commitment our leaders made to ensure affordable and equitable access for all to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics is still not a reality. We have the moral obligation to channel our efforts and resources to intensify production and distribution of vaccines, carrying out measures to facilitate local production in developing countries and share parts of existing stocks.

I reiterate Brazil’s support to ACT-Accelerator and I congratulate the Italian presidency for coordinating the Global Health Summit, which has pointed the way ahead for the response to the pandemic. We must now keep the momentum in its implementation.  

The international trading system has also played an important role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. G20 members have agreed that any emergency restrictive measures should be targeted, proportionate, transparent and temporary. This approach has avoided major disruptions of international trade and global supply chains.

Fortunately, international food trade and value chains have been kept open, ensuring food security around the globe. It is our common duty to guarantee that international food trade and value chains become even more open, efficient, resilient, diversified and reliable.

For that goal, G20 Trade and Investment Ministers, who will gather in October, in Sorrento, should send a strong message to the WTO MC-12 in support for a free, fair, rules-based, predictable and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its centre.

The G20 is probably the best positioned forum to build consensus and foster the reform process of international organizations and multilateralism as a whole. We must keep the momentum by giving our contribution to build a better future.

Thank you.