Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has delivered a powerful critique of global governance, warning that the world’s priorities are dangerously skewed as military spending soars while hunger and inequality persist.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 discussions, Lula questioned the effectiveness of global institutions in addressing crises and urged immediate reform of the United Nations system.
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“The world spends $2.7 trillion a year on w+apons while people starve,” he said, highlighting what he described as a moral failure in global leadership.
Reflecting on the purpose of the G20, Lula noted that it was created during the 2008 financial crisis to stabilise the global economy, but said promised reforms to institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank never materialised.
“Back in 2008, why did we create the G20? To try to resolve the crisis. We tried to reform the IMF, we tried to change the World Bank, nothing changed,” he said.
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Lula also called for stronger and more decisive action from the United Nations, suggesting that the UN Secretary-General should be empowered to convene emergency global meetings without waiting for approval from the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Criticising what he described as institutional paralysis, he warned that global silence in the face of conflict has real economic consequences for ordinary people.
“The UN cannot stay silent while watching what is happening in the world, it’s the poor who pay for the recklessness of w@rs that nobody wants,” he said, linking conflicts to rising food and energy prices in developing countries.
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He argued that the core failure of multilateralism lies not within individual nations, but within the global system itself, insisting that the UN Charter must be revisited and enforced more effectively.
“It’s about respecting the UN Charter, read why it was created, and if you don’t feel you’re fulfilling your duty, resign. Or let’s overhaul the UN Charter once and for all,” Lula stated.
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