No one country can thrive in isolation. And, with the complex global challenges facing the world in recent years, from pandemics, to war, to climate change, to economic inequality that transcends borders, the need for multilateral cooperation has become even more significant.
For Brazil, multilateralism is well and truly back on the menu, as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has embarked on a seemingly non-stop road trip of international visits since taking the job in January, and foreign policy has taken a so-far unprecedented prominence on the Brazilian political agenda.
In September 2021, in the middle of the Covid pandemic, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a report calling for stronger governance on key issues of global concern. And as part of this plan, the UN set up a High-Level Advisory Board to come up with ideas and recommendations on how to achieve effective multilateralism.
And, one of the seats on that board went to Brazil’s very own Ilona Szabó, founder and president of the Igarapé Institute, a think-and-do tank committed to human, digital, and climate security. Today, we speak to her about this initiative, where Brazil fits into it, and where we go from here.
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This week’s podcast is supported by Dal Pozzo Advogados. Dal Pozzo represents some of Brazil’s biggest infrastructure groups and helps foreign clients navigate the country’s complicated legal and regulatory system.
This episode used music from Uppbeat. License codes: Aspire by Pryces (B6TUQLVYOWVKY02S). Eyes Closed by Tobias Voigt (LMXCZYOBVN6WBLXR). Do It by FILOFIHI (DH9UI3GUXMPBSOCQ). Spatial by Fugu Vibes (ERYHVK1VMJUYZPGK).
In this episode:
- Ilona Szabó is a Brazilian political scientist and civic entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and executive director of the Igarapé Institute. She was selected to be a member of a UN High-Level Advisory Board created to develop ideas and recommendations for achieving effective multilateralism, being the only Latin American representative on the committee.
Background reading on Brazil and multilateralism:
- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defends a world order that is not so U.S.-centric. During his first time as president, he invested heavily in South-South relations. And now plans to do the same.
- Lula’s first trip outside of South America was to the U.S., a move many saw as a token of respect for Washington (though his delegation to China was much larger). But while Lula will keep the U.S. close, he may want to keep the BRICS closer.
- By not appearing at the U.S.-led Summit for Democracy, the Brazilian president reinforced the perception that, under his leadership, Brazil is closer to China and Russia than to the Western powers.
Do you have a suggestion for our next Explaining Brazil podcast? Drop us a line at [email protected]
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