Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will head the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro today, where he will present the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.

In addition to social inclusion and the fight against these scourges, Brazil, which is chairing the G20 this year, has defined two other central themes for discussion: energy transition and sustainable development, and the reform of global governance.

More than 55 official representatives are taking part in the forum, including permanent members of the group from the world’s 19 main economies and the European and African Unions, and 34 leaders invited by the Brazilian presidency.

Of the nations that make up the bloc, only the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, will not be attending the meeting, and will be represented by Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov, who was already in Rio in February, at the meeting of ministers.

The first session on Monday morning will be devoted to the fight against hunger and social inequalities, and will mark the launch of the Global Alliance, proposed by Lula.

Recently, Ambassador Mauricio Lyrio, the South American giant’s representative to the G20, said that the main countries had already submitted the necessary documentation to join the Global Partnership, ‘but the announcement will only be made during the event’.

The Global Partnership will have four basic documents: its foundation and structure, membership criteria, the creation of a secretariat for its management, and a social inclusion programme.

«The latter is the commitment of the country concerned to adhere to at least one of the listed programmes, which have already proven their effectiveness,» Lyrio said.

The pact will include income transfer programmes, school canteens, support for family farming and the implementation of a single register of beneficiaries.

«Fortunately, in Brazil we already have structures of this type, but there are other countries that still need to make progress in this direction,» he said.

A second session, scheduled for this afternoon, will focus on global governance reform, with a focus on broadening inclusiveness in the UN Security Council.

It will also address the review of international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation.

The third session, scheduled for tomorrow, will open the debate on sustainable development and energy transition, and the summit will conclude with the handover of the G20 presidency to South Africa.