G20 Riyadh Summit: Release of Leaders' Declaration

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- G20 Leaders endorsed their declaration at the end of their summit today November 22, 2020, including agreements on steps to be taken to protect lives and shape a better future. 

"We, the G20 Leaders, meeting for the second time under the Saudi Presidency, stand united in our conviction that coordinated global action, solidarity, and multilateral cooperation are more necessary today than ever to overcome the current challenges and realize opportunities of the 21st century for all by empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers."

The declaration goes on to call for a recovery and a better future by adopting policies to ensure connectivity and equal access to technology and opportunities for all, focusing on women, youth, and the most vulnerable.

"We are taking immediate and exceptional measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its intertwined health, social and economic impacts, including through the implementation of unprecedented fiscal, monetary and financial stability actions (…) We recognize the role of extensive immunization as a global public good."

"We commend the Saudi Presidency for initiating discussions on the need for long-term solutions to address gaps in global pandemic preparedness and response, including its proposal towards establishing access to pandemic tools, and we look forward to furthering this discussion during the Italian Presidency."

"This crisis continues to have disproportionate economic and social impact on the most vulnerable segments of society, reinforcing the need to enhance access to opportunities for all. We will continue our efforts to reduce inequalities, reaffirming our previous commitments to promote inclusive growth. We endorse the G20 Menu of Policy Options to Enhance Access to Opportunities for All that can be leveraged to support the immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic and move towards a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive recovery."

The statement also calls for protecting our planet and shared natural resources to have a cleaner more sustainable future:

"Preventing environmental degradation, conserving, sustainably using and restoring biodiversity, preserving our oceans, promoting clean air and clean water, responding to natural disasters and extreme weather events, and tackling climate change are among the most pressing challenges of our time. As we recover from the pandemic, we are committed to safeguarding our planet and building a more environmentally sustainable and inclusive future for all people."

More than 170 meetings were held, by G20 minsters of finance, trade and investment, health, education, energy, climate, anti-corruption, agriculture, environment, employment, tourism, digital economy, water, and foreign affairs over the course of the Saudi G20 Presidency to culminate in the Leaders' Declaration.

In addition, civil society and business groups were represented by the eight engagement groups: Business 20, Youth 20, Labour 20, Think 20, Civil 20, Women 20, Science 20, and Urban 20. They concluded their agenda by holding 8 summits and issuing 8 final statements respectively bringing civil society and private sector views to the policy-making table.

Click here to access the official G20 Riyadh Summit Leaders' Declaration on the Media Microsite.