Call for Multilateralism

Mar 6 2025 Al Jazeera

Multilateralism can and must deliver

Opinion piece by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Cyril Ramaphosa and Pedro Sánchez

A few quotes from the piece:

The year 2025 will be pivotal for multilateralism. The challenges before us — rising inequalities, climate change, and the financing gap for sustainable development — are urgent and interconnected. Addressing them requires bold, coordinated action — not a retreat into isolation, unilateral actions, or disruption.

Three major global gatherings offer a unique opportunity to chart a path towards a more just, inclusive and sustainable world: the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville (Spain), the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Belém (Brazil) and the G20 Summit in Johannesburg (South Africa). These meetings must not be business as usual: they must deliver real progress.

The world is increasingly fragmented, and this is precisely why we must redouble our efforts to find common ground. Seville, Belém and Johannesburg must serve as beacons of multilateral cooperation, showing that nations can unite around common interests.

…we call on all nations, international institutions, the private sector and civil society to rise to this moment. Multilateralism can and must deliver — because the stakes are too high for failure.