Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – February 25, 2024: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) participated in the first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of 2024, held in Rio de Janeiro. Led by Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, the UAE’s G20 Sherpa, the delegation engaged in discussions on navigating current global challenges and reforming the global governance system.
This year marks the UAE’s third consecutive year as a guest participant at the G20. The country was also invited to actively participate in various G20 events throughout 2024, which carries the theme “Building a Just World and Sustainable Planet.” The Brazilian presidency has outlined key priorities for the year, including fostering an improved global governance system, combating poverty and hunger, tackling climate change, and facilitating energy transitions.
During the discussions, Al Sayegh acknowledged the complex issues facing the international community, highlighting geopolitical tensions, economic imbalances, and environmental crises. He emphasized the need for a “coordinated and multilateral response” to overcome these challenges.
He further elaborated on the UAE’s significant contributions as a guest participant in previous G20 meetings. These contributions touched upon vital topics including post-pandemic recovery, climate change, energy transition, and achieving sustainable development goals.
Al Sayegh reiterated the UAE’s support for Brazil’s priorities and its commitment to working towards solutions for hunger, poverty, sustainable development, and global governance reform. He also emphasized the importance of building upon the success of the recent COP28 climate conference held in the UAE, which garnered international support and financial commitments.
The G20 meeting served as another platform for the UAE to advocate for immediate action to end the violence in Gaza and protect civilians. The country stressed the significance of opening humanitarian corridors to facilitate aid delivery.
This participation marks the UAE’s fifth engagement with the G20, having previously attended summits and events as a guest in France (2011), Saudi Arabia (2020), Indonesia (2022), and India (2023).
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