One of the hallmarks of the federal government in this administration under President Lula is to ensure that civil society is heard in the process of building public policies. This commitment extends to the international agenda. That’s why, when he symbolically assumed the G20 leadership in India last year, President Lula announced the Social G20, an unprecedented initiative in the Forum’s history, under Brazil´s presidency with the motto “Building a Fair World and a Sustainable Planet.”

Throughout 2024, collaboration between the government, civil society, and social and popular movements has sought to broaden the participation of non-governmental actors in the engagement and working groups coordinated by the ministries, in addition to promoting independent events by social movements. The primary goal was to generate substantial content and proposals that could reach the G20’s decision-making processes.

As a plural and diverse country with authority to address crucial issues such as climate change and the fight against hunger and poverty, Brazil’s Social G20 guarantees space for the diverse voices, struggles, and demands of the populations of countries that make up the world’s largest economies.

The 13 engagement groups that are part of the Social G20 include: C20 (civil society); T20 (think tanks); Y20 (youth); W20 (women); L20 (labor); U20 (cities); B20 (business); S20 (science); Startup20 (startups); P20 (parliaments); SAI20 (audit institutions); and the newest, J20 (supreme courts) and O20 (oceans).

In addition to the activities developed by the engagement groups, the Social G20 also facilitated, for the first time in G20 history, working meetings where social leaders came face-to-face with those responsible, from all Forum countries, for negotiations on the political track (Sherpa Track) and financial track (Finance Track).

The highlight of the Social G20 will be the Social Summit, from November 14 to 16, 2024, right before the G20 Leaders´ Summit, both held in Rio de Janeiro. The Social Summit will showcase the work developed over nearly a year by civil society and social movements—a rich panorama of the exchange of experiences among non-governmental agents who will surely reveal new paths for creating policies that reflect values like social, economic, and environmental justice and the fight to reduce all forms of inequality. It will be three days of fairs, debates, and conferences proposed by the societies, along with plenary sessions that will shape the final format of the documents to be delivered to the heads of state.

The Social Summit will be the strongest mark of global social participation in the G20. The territory of the Social G20 Summit will be prepared to welcome thousands of people from all corners of Brazil and the world—a gathering of people who understand everyone’s responsibility for the change the planet needs. No one will be left behind in the fairer and more sustainable world that we must build together.