Biden urges world leaders to meet challenges of global hunger and poverty

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden emphasized the need Monday for world leaders to address global hunger and poverty as global crises further exacerbate the challenges.

"Since day one of my administration I put this issue front and center in my administration as well," Biden said during the first session of the ongoing G20 summit in Brazil where he was flanked by French President Emanuel Macron and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

The president said Washington has invested $160 billion in global development since he assumed office, but said global crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, spiraling wars and increasingly frequent climate disasters mean that all nations must rise up to meet the challenges.

Biden pointed in particular to the need for world leaders to raise private capital to meet the challenges, but said many nations are forced to choose between investment and repaying debts.

The G20 is made up of 19 countries that include Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia, Türkiye, UK and US, and two regional bodies: the African Union and the European Union.

The members of the G20 represent around 85% of the world's GDP, more than 75% of world trade and around two-thirds of the world's population.