Taoiseach Micheál Martin has called for renewed efforts to end the “illegal invasion” of Ukraine by Russia and raised the “horrors of Gaza” in his address to the G20 summit in South Africa.
Mr Martin also told the summit attended by leaders of the world’s most powerful nations that the situation in Sudan was appalling and needed to end.
“We must work very hard to end these wars, in addition to the many other conflicts,” he said.
“Ireland advocates for economic growth to be inclusive, to be resilient and to be environmentally sustainable, and our focus has always been on investment in human capital in terms of education and training as the key underpinning of economic growth into the future.”
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The Taoiseach has already criticised the 28-point US peace plan to end the Ukraine-Russia war for asking Ukraine to cede territory it has always held and that Russia failed to gain, despite waging an all-out war for the past three years.
In his address to the summit at the Nasrec Exhibition Centre in Johannesburg on Saturday, Mr Martin also indirectly criticised the impact of US tariffs on countries that rely heavily on global trade.
He said the World Trade Organisation (WTO) needed to be modernised to ensure all countries that rely on global trade could benefit equally.
Mr Martin referred to the negative impact of the increased use by some nations of “trade-distorting industrial policies”. That was received as a reference to the large swathe of global tariffs introduced by US president Donald Trump since coming into office earlier this year.
“The rules and standards that the WTO provides are crucial for all of us who depend on global trade and allow all trading nations to benefit,” Mr Martin told world leaders.
“The stability and predictability provided by the rules-based multilateral trading system is key in supporting sustainable development.”
The summit, hosted by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, is the first to be held on the continent of Africa. It is the first time Ireland has participated.
In his opening address, Mr Ramaphosa said South Africa has sought to ensure that the development priorities of the Global South and the African continent find expression firmly and permanently on the agenda of the G20.
“This is important not only for the people of Africa and the Global South,” he said.
“It is vital for global stability and security, alleviating resource pressures, managing population movements and reducing the risk of conflict.”
He said thriving economies help lift people out of poverty, encourage greater investment and trade, and generate revenue for investment in public goods.
“The threats facing humanity today – from escalating geopolitical tensions, global warming, pandemics, energy and food insecurity to inequality, unemployment, extreme poverty and armed conflict – jeopardise our collective future.”
WTO rules are designed to favour predictable and smooth international trade. They cover sectors such as goods, services and intellectual property and strive for a situation where there is no discrimination favouring one country over another.
In recent years, however, its rules have been criticised for not allowing sufficient market access for developing nations, or for keeping up with changes in technology, such as digital services, or in geopolitical shifts.
In addition to the Group of 20 powerful nations, Ireland is one of 16 non-G20 countries that have been invited.
Mr Martin focused on a modernised WTO in his address, saying Ireland wanted an open and rules-based multilateral trading system, with a modernised WTO at its core.
“Trade and investment need to create opportunities for those considered the furthest behind, particularly women and marginalised groups,” he said, adding that Ireland favoured G20 efforts to support growth in Africa.
“Women’s economic empowerment is crucially important as a direct pathway towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth,” he said.
“Ireland values policy interventions that support investment in local and regional value chains, which support quality jobs creation, raise living standards and enhance resilience.
“Digital inclusion is a key enabler of a growing economy. Ireland is supportive of work to develop a fair and inclusive digital economy with effective rules for digital trade.”
This summit has been overshadowed by the decision of Mr Trump to boycott the event, and to remove all US officials from negotiations. The absence of the US at the conference is expected to have an impact on the potency of the final declarations issued on Sunday.
Mr Trump said he would not attend citing discredited allegations that white people in South Africa had been persecuted, and that hundreds had been murdered. There is no factual basis for such allegations.
