President Lula will hold bilateral meetings in parallel to G20 events

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's agenda in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) from November 16 to 19 includes several bilateral meetings and events associated with the G20, the primary forum for international economic cooperation. The highlight of his schedule will be presiding over the G20 Leaders' Summit, set to take place on Monday (18) and Tuesday (19) at the Modern Art Museum [Museu de Arte Moderna – MAM].

On Saturday (16), the president's schedule is expected to include a bilateral meeting with the Secretary-General of the Union Nations (UN) António Guterres. Starting at 12 PM (Brasilia time), Lula will participate in the closing ceremony of the G20 Social Summit, the high point of civil participation, envisioned by the Brazilian President back in December 2023, in New Delhi (India), when Brazil symbolically took on the group’s rotating presidency — which ends on November 30 this year.

Since then, the G20 Social served as the locus for the plural voices of both Brazilian and foreign civil society, promoting —for the first time— encounters between the political and financial tracks of the world leaders summit and the engagement groups and social movement leaders.

FESTIVAL — Still on Saturday, Lula will attend the Global Alliance Festival, a cultural event created to promote the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, Brazil’s priority ahead of the G20. Nineteen Brazilian music stars will participate in the free concerts at Praça Mauá, starting at 5 PM.

The festival will channel the transformative power of artistic expressions to consolidate a message about the country's commitment to building a collaborative network with a lasting impact, engaging countries, organizations, and citizens in the fight for food security.

URBAN 20 — On Sunday (17), Lula will attend bilateral meetings and the Urban 20 (U20) Mayors’ Plenary at the Armazém da Utopia in Rio de Janeiro. The event will gather mayors and delegations from over 100 cities to discuss urban solutions and the future of cities in the midst of climate challenges.

The U20 meetings will address the primary themes of the G20, highlighting the perspective of local governments. The three main discussion axes are social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty, energy transition and addressing climate change, and reforming global governance institutions.

LEADERS SUMMIT — On Monday (18) and Tuesday (19), Lula will preside over the G20 Leaders Summit. Currently, the forum includes 19 countries spanning five continents—South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, the United States, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Turkey—alongside the European Union and the African Union. Together, the group represents two-thirds of the world’s population, approximately 85% of global GDP, and 75% of international trade.

In addition to the full members of the group, representatives from 55 countries or international organizations are expected to attend. Following the leaders’ arrival on the morning of November 18, the first of three main substantive sessions will begin. Each of these sessions corresponds to one of the three priorities set by the president for the Summit: social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty, reform of global governance, and the energy transition and sustainable development.

CLOSING CEREMONY — On Tuesday (19) morning, beginning at 10 AM, the third and final substantive leaders' session will focus on sustainable development and the energy transition. This will be followed by the Summit's closing session, during which the Presidency will be handed over from Brazil to South Africa, set to assume leadership of the G20 on December 1. Later on the day, President Lula will attend bilateral meetings and hold a press conference in the evening.