Speech by President Lula during Session 2 - One Family of the G20 Summit

I compare the world to a large family, whose well-being depends on the harmony between its members – us.

I ask myself if we are acting as good brothers and sisters to each other – and the answer, unfortunately, is No.

We speak different languages, and yet we are able to understand each other perfectly.

We have different personalities, but that doesn’t stop us from working together towards the common good – and I take this G20 Summit as an example.

Despite all our efforts, our family is increasingly disunited. What divides us has a name: inequality – and it doesn't stop growing.

Two centuries ago, the income of the richest was 18 times greater than that of the poorest.

Today, in the midst of this fourth industrial revolution, the income of the richest is 38 times that of the poorest.

The richest 10% own 76% of the planet’s wealth, while the poorest 50% own just 2%.

According to the United Nations, at the current pace around 84 million children will still be out of school by 2030.

We will need almost 300 years to achieve gender equality vis-à-vis the law.

According to FAO, hunger affects over 700 million people around the world.

We are allowing the unacceptable to become normal.

The belief that economic growth alone would reduce disparities has proven false.

Resources do not reach the hands of the most vulnerable.

The market remains indifferent to discrimination against women, racial minorities, LGBTQI+ people, and people with disabilities.

Inequality is not a given of nature: it is socially constructed.

Fighting it is a choice we have to make every single day.

Last week we launched the Brazil Without Hunger [Brasil sem Fome] plan, made up of a series of initiatives to reduce poverty and food insecurity.

Guaranteeing equal opportunities for all means ensuring access to quality basic services.

It means designing public policies that help to eradicate racism and sexism from our social and institutional practices.

In Brazil, we made it mandatory that men and women who do the same job be paid the same wages. This is an old ILO aspiration.

As the leaders of the world's 20 largest economies, it is our role to strengthen a state's ability to care for its citizens.

We must include the poor in the national budget,

and make the richest pay taxes proportionally to their wealth and assets.

International financial institutions must be at the service of development rather than aggravating debt.

New technologies should be shared, rather than deepen the digital divide between nations.

Inequality is a scourge that is growing within our countries, but also between them.

The income disparity between rich and poor countries quadrupled between the beginning of the nineteenth century and the end of the twentieth century.

Asymmetries were perpetuated by new forms of economic and financial dependence, by unfair rules and institutions, and by unfulfilled commitments.

The 2030 Agenda promised to redefine this relationship.

We must urgently reclaim the spirit of solidarity that brings life to the Sustainable Development Goals so that we can formulate joint responses to the economic challenges of our time.

During our G20 presidency we will launch a Global Alliance against Hunger.

We hope to count on the support and engagement of all of you

to build a world that is increasingly less unequal and more fraternal

and to truly recognize each other as one great family that leaves no one behind.

Thank you very much.