Solving global challenges and strengthening the middle class at the G20 Leaders’ Summit

CANADA, November 19 - The world is becoming increasingly interconnected. Threats and challenges cross borders, oceans, and continents – leaving long-term impacts on economies, the environment, choices at the grocery shelves, and prices at the checkout counter. Shared challenges require shared solutions.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today concluded his participation at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he worked with other leaders to solve pressing global challenges while securing security and stability for Canada. The G20 Summit tackled key priorities this year, including alleviating global hunger and poverty, investing in clean energy, and ensuring greater economic participation for at-risk communities.

To advance action on these priorities, the Prime Minister secured Canada’s participation in two key global partnerships. Canada will be a part of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, a key initiative under Brazil’s G20 Presidency. The initiative, which will bring industry, government, and development banks together, will result in countries working closer together to tackle malnutrition, including against the rapidly increasing threat of climate change on food insecurity. Canada will also play a key role in the Global Clean Power Alliance, a United Kingdom-led initiative aiming to boost global investment in clean energy and help countries move away from fossil fuels.

Throughout the Summit, the Prime Minister participated in various G20 working sessions where he advanced progress on global peace and security, with a focus on Ukraine and the Middle East. He condemned Russia’s unjustifiable full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which marked 1,000 days on November 19, 2024, and reiterated Canada’s steadfast support for the Ukrainian government and people. He also reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to working with G20 host country Brazil and other allies and international partners, including within the G7 and G20, to promote security and stability for people around the world.

At the Summit, the Prime Minister announced over $68 million in new investments to crack down on organized crime and drug smuggling, support climate action and conservation, and protect more women and girls – while increasing their participation in the economy.

This includes:

• Close to $24 million to stop drug and human trafficking into Canada, strengthen multinational law enforcement capacity to prevent money laundering, bolster resources to respond to threats from organized crime and terrorists, increase collaboration with international security organizations, and enhance the capacities of international airports in Latin America and the Caribbean to deter and detect the shipment of illicit drugs.
• Over $25 million to help restore global biodiversity, support measures to alleviate malnutrition, work with farmers in climate-stressed regions to support conservation efforts, and enhance food security in regions most affected.
• Over $19 million to support women and girls in Latin America by preventing discrimination and violence, helping more women participate in conservation efforts and land and water resource management, and improving health services for at-risk women, including Indigenous women.

Sustainable development was a driving force at the G20 Summit. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including through his role as Co-Chair of the UN SDGs Advocates group. He participated in Global Citizen NOW, where he joined other leaders in government and industry to spur global action to achieve the SDGs. Finally, the Prime Minister endorsed a Leaders’ Declaration reaffirming Canada’s commitment to work with its G20 partners to make life better for people around the world.

The Prime Minister stressed that our shared challenges will have a direct impact on people worldwide, especially on workers, working families, and young people. To deter these challenges and find meaning solutions, we must work together and invest in progress. He highlighted Canada’s ongoing work to bring down inflation, create more jobs, build more homes, and ensure that economic growth is felt by the middle class.

Quote

“Shared challenges require shared solutions. At the G20 Summit in Brazil, I announced new action to crack down on drug trafficking, fight climate change, create well-paying jobs, and ensure stability and security for Canadians. Our government is focused on making life better, fairer, and safer for you.”

The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

• While in Rio de Janeiro, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Japan, Ishiba Shigeru, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer.
• This was the 10th G20 Leaders’ Summit attended by Prime Minister Trudeau. It followed his participation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru.
• The G20 is an important platform to discuss global economic, financial, and trade policy issues. G20 members are the world’s major economies and represent all inhabited continents, with 80 per cent of the world GDP, 75 per cent of global trade, and 60 per cent of the world’s population.
• The G20 includes the African Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Spain, Angola, Egypt, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates were invited by Brazil to participate in the G20 as guests this year.
• South Africa will assume the Presidency of the G20 in 2025, under the theme of “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainable Development”.
• Officially launched during the Summit, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty will bring together governments, international organizations, research institutes, and other partners to support ambitious global action to eradicate hunger and poverty. Canada issued a Statement of Commitment underlining its contributions to the Alliance, particularly in the areas of financing support and knowledge sharing.
• Canada and Brazil enjoy a multifaceted relationship grounded in shared democratic values, a commitment to human rights, and co-operation in global and regional security, environmental protection, and sustainable growth. Our countries work together in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the G20, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations.
• Brazil is the second-largest economy in the Americas (after the U.S.) and the ninth-largest economy in the world. It is Canada’s third-largest trading partner in the Americas after the U.S. and Mexico. Bilateral merchandise trade totalled $13.3 billion in 2023.
• Brazil continues to grow in global significance, with a population of over 210 million people, rich natural resources including oil, critical minerals, and agriculture, as well as industrial strengths such as aerospace, chemicals, and food products. Brazil is the main custodian of the Amazon rainforest and is home to the most biodiversity in the world.
• In 2015, Canada joined all United Nations (UN) member states in adopting ambitious goals for sustainable development, as outlined in Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda centres on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encompassing the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Taken together, the SDGs aim to improve the lives of all people, while protecting the planet.
• In 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau was named Co-Chair of the UN SDG Advocates group by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, alongside the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley. SDG Advocates work to raise global awareness of the SDGs and of the need for accelerated action by using their respective platforms. Prime Minister Trudeau is also Co-Chair of the SDG Stimulus Leaders group.

Related Products

Associated Links