Rio de Janeiro, 18 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The two-day G20 summit kicks off on Monday in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together leaders from the world’s largest economies, with the agenda prioritizing tackling poverty and driving reforms in global institutions.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva aims to use the summit to launch the "Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty," seeking firm financial commitments from G20 nations to advance initiatives that increase food production and tackle hunger on a global scale.

Almost all G20 leaders are expected to attend the meeting, including US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be notably absent. He is under an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, and runs the risk of being arrested abroad.

The G20 is now actually a G21, because the African Union was accepted as a new member last year. The group includes the 19 strongest economies in the world, in addition to the European Union and the African Union.

While Brazil, as host, has prioritized issues such as poverty and food security, the summit will also likely address pressing international crises, including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Although the summit’s concluding declarations are not legally binding, they often carry significant political weight, signalling a collective stance on key global challenges.

Photo: EPA