Advancing intercontinental diplomacy

The purpose of diplomacy is to nurture peaceful relations and shared progress across all borders.Dag Hammarskjöld,Former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Preliminary observations

The Leaders of the G20, met in Rio de Janeiro on 18-19 November 2024 to address major global challenges and crises and promote strong, sustainable, balanced, and

inclusive growth. This impressive multilateral diplomatic gathering took place in the birthplace of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda. This G20 Summit was guided by the theme 'Building a Just World and Sustainable Planet' and focused on three key priorities: (i) social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty; (ii) sustainable development, energy transitions and climate action; and (iii) the reform of global governance.

Before going further with our analysis of the diplomatic collective document adopted by G20 Leaders , it is appropriate to answer the question what is the exact composition of G20 today, as it is a really unprecedented forum by its history, topicality and potential future.

The G20 was established in 1999 in response to several world economic crises. In 2024, the members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, the African Union and the European Union. As it can be seen, all continents are represented in this body, while the greatest Asian continent on our planet is represented by China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea.However, it is useful to remind that Russia and Türkiye are officially members of the largest UN regional UN commission -the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

For space reasons we cannot deal in detail in these pages with the integrality of a comprehensive diplomatic document of 85 paragraphs, object of thorough and preliminary debates, consultations , negotiations and drafting efforts before its adoption by consensus by the G20 Leaders during the actual Summit.

Essential aspects from an Asian-Pacific perspective

In a quite selective analysis, we will note that the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders' Declaration adopted by consensus and the debates emphasize solidarity, trust, and diplomacy as fundamental principles guiding collective action. Solidarity is framed as a commitment to shared responsibility in addressing global challenges, such as climate change and economic inequality. Trust is underscored through the promotion of transparent, rules-based cooperation, fostering confidence in multilateral solutions. Diplomacy emerges as a key tool for navigating diverse perspectives and ensuring inclusive dialogue among all nations. These concepts together reflect a vision for cohesive and equitable global governance.The G20 Declaration itself justifies through a literal interpretation the validity of this interpretation.

The first express reference to solidarity in the diplomatic document under review appears in a long paragraph which because its rich content deserves to be largely reproduced as by it the G20 Leaders declare in clear terms :" We recognize culture's power and intrinsic value in nurturing solidarity, dialogue, collaboration and cooperation, fostering a more sustainable world, in all dimensions and from all perspectives. We commit to the principles of inclusion, social participation and accessibility, for the full exercise of cultural rights, confronting racism, discrimination and prejudice, and call for a strengthened and effective global engagement on the discussion of copyright and related rights in the digital environment and the impacts of AI on copyright right holders. We encourage countries to enhance international cooperation, collaboration and exchange towards the development of the creative economy. We reaffirm our commitment to the relevant UNESCO culture conventions."

The reference to solidarity and to UNESCO conventions suggest us a historic reminder of the fact that UNESCO's Constitution itself stipulates that " a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world, and that the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind."

At the November 2024 G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, leaders emphasized in different contexts the themes of solidarity, trust, and diplomacy in addressing global challenges.

Australia reaffirmed its commitment to consolidating partnerships that promote economic resilience and social inclusivity, and also highlighted its advocacy for strengthening global institutions, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), to ensure fair and transparent trade practices-a critical step in fostering global solidarity.

We will mention now significant statements from the Asian countries.

China stressed the importance of a "just world of common development," urging multilateral cooperation and greater support for developing countries. Chinese delegation called for bridges of collaboration rather than divisions, emphasizing inclusive globalization and sustainable development to bridge the North-South gap.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced the priorities of the Global South, stressing solidarity in addressing global hunger and poverty through initiatives like the "Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty." He reiterated India's commitment to reforming global governance institutions to reflect inclusivity and equity.

As a prominent advocate for developing nations, Indonesia backed calls for equitable access to climate finance and technology for sustainable energy transitions. This country reminded the importance of diplomatic trust in fostering cooperation on climate goals and poverty alleviation.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba underlined Japan's commitment to global sustainability efforts. He emphasized that G20 nations, as major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, have a collective responsibility to lead energy transitions and strengthen diplomatic ties to address environmental and economic challenges.

Republic of Korea echoed the need for trust and multilateral action in global governance reforms, aligning with efforts to tackle climate change and ensure equitable development in the Global South.

Russia emphasized energy security and stable cooperation, reaffirming the importance of balanced diplomacy amidst global conflicts. Moscow advocated for preserving trust in multilateral frameworks to manage shared economic and security challenges.

Türkiye focused on strengthening partnerships within the G20 to address humanitarian crises and promote regional stability, and also called for greater diplomatic efforts to foster trust in conflict resolution and economic collaboration.

As a whole,the statements of Asian countries reflected shared recognition of the interconnectedness of global issues and the importance of collective action grounded in solidarity, trust, and effective diplomacy.

It is necessary to stress that the Summit's overarching theme, "Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet," managed to underscore these priorities.

In a UN document entitled Our Common Agenda which is a report of the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was present and took the floor at the G20 Summit ,it is declared with realism that "Increasingly, people are turning their backs on the values of trust and solidarity in one another – the very values we need to rebuild our world and secure a better, more sustainable future for our people and our planet. Humanity's welfare – and indeed, humanity's very future – depend on solidarity and working together as a global family to achieve common goals." It is usefully to precise that solidarity is mention 42 times in this report .

In a similar context, readers of the G20 Declaration under review cannot underestimate the clear announcement of G20 Leaders to recommit to advancing the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and a safer place for all and to uphold their obligations in this regard. They condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestation, and appreciated that "the peaceful resolution of conflicts and efforts to address crises as well as diplomacy and dialogue are critical. Only with peace will we achieve sustainability and prosperity".

It can be assessed that the Asian leaders aligned on the themes of fostering mutual trust, encouraging diplomacy, and building solidarity to address both global governance challenges and pressing humanitarian issues such as food insecurity and climate change. Their statements reflected a shared commitment to solidarity despite existing geopolitical tensions.

The Conclusion formulated in the last paragraph of the Declaration analyzed selectively above is future- oriented and says : "We remain resolute in our commitment to fighting hunger, poverty, and inequality, promoting sustainable development in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions, and reforming global governance. We welcome Saudi Arabia's ambition to advance its turn for hosting the G20 Presidency in the next cycle. We thank Brazil for its leadership this year and look forward to working together in 2025 under South Africa's Presidency and meeting again in the United States in 2026."

Let's hope that the next G20 Summits will be successful intercontinental diplomacy events.