I thank Brazil for convening this meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers on global governance reform.
Because we know that the multilateral system is falling short of the commitments we have made together.
At a time when the world’s peoples have never needed it more.
More people are displaced, more people hungry.
There is more conflict, and greater risk of nuclear warfare.
The climate is changing faster than our combined efforts to stop it.
But there is a simple truth, we can only avert these crises by working together.
Our nations and our peoples want a world that is governed by agreed rules and norms that enable peace and enable prosperity.
Rules are the foundation for the character of the world that we want.
But the international system must evolve, to better represent and reflect the reality for the majority of the world’s people.
This is why we support Brazil’s Call to Action.
And why we support Brazil’s focus on ending world hunger and on equality.
Australia supports a revitalised UN General Assembly and a stronger UN Peacebuilding Commission.
And we must reform the UN Security Council to meet the challenges of today.
We must ensure greater permanent and non-permanent representation for Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Asia-Pacific.
But reform cannot become a means for disruptors to undermine elements of the system that protects us all.
It must be about meeting the needs of all countries – including small and medium countries – rather than increasing the power of a few.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine violates the UN Charter and the principles which underpin global security, global stability, and global prosperity.
We again call on Russia as P5 member, and its supporters, including some who are in this room, to immediately end this war.
Australia hears the calls from so many for strengthened global financial architecture.
And we are acting, to support reforms that improve responsiveness to global shocks, boost transparency and build sustainability and resilience, particularly in the smallest and most vulnerable countries.
We have supported progress on Multilateral Development Bank reform and re-channelling of Special Drawing Rights to the IMF.
We have committed $492 million to the Asian Development Fund replenishment round, working with Japan to unlock a record $5 billion in new assistance over the next decade to the region’s most vulnerable countries.
And by the end of 2025, Australia will offer Climate Resilient Debt Clauses in our sovereign loans.
We know development finance reform is critical to for economic development; so too is the WTO’s predictable framework for international trade. However, this also needs reform.
We will continue pushing for a more effective WTO – including through bringing into force recent WTO plurilateral agreements and fixing the WTO dispute settlement system.
The logic of the post-war economic order was to enable development and growth for all through openness.
We know that economic interdependence is too often being misused for strategic and political ends.
But economic integration still provides a critical incentive for peace and a critical incentive for the sharing of prosperity.
Prosperity and stability has never been something we can take for granted.
Especially today, as we worry about new outbreaks of conflict, escalation of current conflicts, or even conflict between great powers.
Australia has consistently called for open lines of communication between the US and China, and we welcome the resumption of dialogue at all levels.
Today’s circumstances mean we need to commit anew to conflict prevention, to commit anew to reduce the risk of crisis, conflict and war by accident.
Around this room and around the world, military power is expanding, but measures to constrain military conflict are not.
In conflicts around the world, civilian suffering is unacceptable.
The world demands a ceasefire in Gaza. Aid must flow. Hostages must be released.
Lebanon cannot become the next Gaza.
To preserve peace, it is up to us all to act.
To preserve peace, it is up to all of us to minimise the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation…
To preserve peace, it is up to all of us to prevent catastrophic conflict.
Australia is committed to playing our part.
To maintain conditions for peace through our diplomacy, supporting the multilateral system, while playing our part in transparent, collective deterrence.
This is in pursuit of our desire for a world where every country operates by rules.
Rules that we have all had a say in shaping.
