Addressing leaders of the world’s largest economies last week, President Lula advocated for an approach to development cooperation capable of responding to rising hunger, poverty and inequality

Rome, Italy 22 June 2026 – At the G7 Summit, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted the widening inequalities that sustain hunger and poverty, calling for renewed international solidarity in a world increasingly fragmented by geopolitical tensions.

“We are moving in the opposite direction of the 2030 Agenda. The challenges are multiplying, but international solidarity is shrinking,” he warned at the expanded session on Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity last week.

“Last year, Official Development Assistance registered a historic decline of 23 percent. These are not abstract figures. They mean millions of people without access to adequate food; children unable to attend school; women deprived of protection; and vulnerable communities exposed to preventable diseases. Wars and conflicts also continue to divert attention from the development agenda,” he added.

The uncertain global context and need for a new approach to development cooperation have framed development discussions at the G7 this year. In their April 2026 Communiqué, G7 Development Ministers underscored the need for “a different approach based on genuine partnerships and country ownership,” committing to work towards a more effective international development architecture.

Last week’s Leaders’ Summit in Évian brought this vision into sharper focus. In their Declaration on Mutually Beneficial International Partnerships, G7 Leaders called for cooperation that reinforces “countries’ ownership, accountability, long-term economic sovereignty and resilience,” while recognizing that concessional public resources remain essential where needs are greatest.

“There is no shortage of good ideas. What we lack is implementation and political will. The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty makes it possible to share experiences and support the implementation of effective public policies to reduce inequalities,” asserted the Brazilian President.

The appeal underscored the shared responsibility of Alliance members to maintain focus on fighting hunger and poverty despite a challenging global context. The task now is to translate shared ambition into coordinated financial, knowledge and technical support for country-led programmes.