The Foreign Secretary and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira
held talks at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro today to discuss how the
international community can respond to major global
challenges.
They agreed on the urgent need for Israel to allow more aid into
Gaza. The Foreign Secretary set out the UK’s plan for an
immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, and then progress
towards a sustainable permanent ceasefire, without a return to
destruction, fighting, and loss of life.
On Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary
stressed the devastating human impact of the war and the
importance of Brazil’s perspective on the world stage in building
peace. He encouraged Brazil to follow its own principles and use
their available channels, including BRICS and their G20
Presidency, to urge Russia to end its unprovoked and illegal
invasion and create room for diplomacy.
The UK supports the Brazil Presidency in reforming global
governance and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. The
Foreign Secretary said that international order needs to adapt
and global institutions ‘needed to be reformed, not completely
upended,’ including the UK’s support for permanent Security
Council seats for Brazil, India, Japan, Germany and permanent
representation from Africa.
The Foreign Secretary emphasised the need to go beyond national
aid budgets and use all the resources at countries’ disposal to
deliver a bigger, better, bolder and fairer international
financial system that delivers for all. This includes making
Multilateral Development Banks operate more effectively and
reforming the World Trade Organisation to reduce protectionism.
He pushed for global action to tackle Anti-Microbial Resistance,
which is now responsible for more deaths than Tuberculosis, HIV
AIDS, and Malaria.
The Foreign Secretary also signed a Defence Capability
Collaboration Arrangement which will help modernise Brazil’s
defence industrial base via UK expertise, strengthening UK-Brazil
ties.
