The G20 Leaders’ Declaration, signed at the Rio de Janeiro Leaders summit (18-19 November 2024), emphasized adopting language favorable to the appointment of women to senior positions at the United Nations. This demand is a central pillar of the global campaign 1 for 8 Billion, spearheaded by numerous organizations worldwide, including CIVICUS, Plataforma CIPÓ, Southern Voice, and WomanSG.
This achievement is the result of significant advocacy efforts by the Administrative Committee of the 1 for 8 Billion campaign. Through strategic briefings shared with diplomatic missions, public campaigns, and informal meetings, the campaign successfully advocated for language supporting women’s appointments to be incorporated into the final text. Plataforma CIPÓ played a prominent role in engaging with the Brazilian government, undertaking strategic actions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The commitment to a more representative UN—both geographically and in terms of gender—builds on the goals agreed upon in the Pact for the Future and the G20 Call to Action, adopted in September at the United Nations.
In Paragraph 63 of the Declaration, G20 leaders reaffirm their commitment to revitalizing the UN General Assembly, highlighting the need to expand the appointment of women to the position of President of the Assembly:
“We commit to revitalizing the General Assembly, strengthening its role as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the United Nations, to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including matters related to maintaining international peace and security, through enhanced and intensified interaction with the Security Council. We also commit to revitalizing the Assembly through transformative procedures and practices that recognize its authority and enhance its effectiveness and efficiency, in line with the UN Charter, and to increasing the appointment of women candidates to the Presidency of the General Assembly.”
Paragraph 67 goes further, advocating for transparency, geographic equity, and gender parity in filling senior positions, with a special emphasis on appointing women as Secretary-General:
“We will work towards a more representative UN Secretariat through transparency, equitable geographic distribution, rotation of nationalities, merit, and gender balance in filling positions, as well as increasing the appointment of women to senior posts, including the Secretary-General, reaffirming that no position should be considered the exclusive domain of any member state or group of states.”
While specific measures to implement these agreed-upon goals are absent, this language marks a milestone in G20 history. Previous declarations have often limited references to the UN to thematic programs, proposing few tangible reforms to strengthen the organization. The new direction adopted by the G20 signals the political will of the world’s largest economies to make multilateral institutions more inclusive and equitable.
By including these key points in the Declaration, the G20 underscores the importance of ensuring that women play a central role in decision-making processes that shape the future of multilateralism and global governance.
