The Foreign Secretary and Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira held talks at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro today [22 February 2024] 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.
