Trudeau talks root causes of hunger at G20, will meet with Biden, other leaders

By Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press on November 18, 2024.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a fireside chat with Michael Scheldrick, co-founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen during a Global Citizen Now event on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

RIO DE JANEIRO – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau argues gender equality has to be part of any solution to solving global poverty and hunger.

He is at the G20 summit in Brazil, where President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has made poverty the subject of the opening discussion among leaders.

Media were not able to hear Trudeau’s remarks, but his office says he discussed Ottawa’s efforts to not only fund emergency relief but also to address the root causes of hunger in global food systems.

Trudeau is set to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden this afternoon, a day after The Associated Press reported that Biden has authorized Ukraine to use American-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia.

The prime minister met today with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, and has meetings scheduled with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

He’ll also meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum days after voicing concerns about high levels of Chinese investment in Mexico, a potential trade issue for the North American allies given that Canada and the U.S. have imposed steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.