BRAZIL has opened a social summit in the run-up to next week’s Group of 20 (G20) meeting of top economies, the first such event focused on drawing civil society input before the main annual summit.

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that 40,000 people from G20 countries were expected to attend meetings and panels today in refurbished warehouses in central Rio de Janeiro’s port area and at the nearby Museum of Tomorrow. The main summit takes place in Rio de Janeiro on Monday and Tuesday.

Mr Vieira told the opening ceremony, also attended by other government ministers and Rosangela da Silva, the wife of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, that the gathering was part of Brazil’s G20 agenda to promote sustainable development and green energy, fight poverty and reduce inequality.