The G20: perils and opportunities for developing countries

The G20 Leaders group burst onto the scene in the wake of the global financial crisis, a network of the world’s largest economies coming together to forge a common response. The group built upon the network of G20 Finance Ministers established after the East Asian financial crisis of 1997. In question now is the future global governance role of the G20. In Pittsburgh in September, leaders “designated the G-20 to be the premier forum for our international economic cooperation”, using the forum to create the Financial Stability Board, and adding climate change to their agenda. These moves suggest not just a longer shelf-life for the G20, but a taking over of the broader agenda previously associated with the G8. In their briefing, Ngaire Woods and Leonardo Martinez probe the likely trajectory of the G20 and the implications for emerging and developing countries. Using research published in their new book Networks of Influence: Developing Countries in a Networked Global Order (Oxford University Press), they draw out specific lessons as to how emerging and developing countries might best use the new G20 Leaders group, and what its limits are likely to be. At this meeting Ngaire Woods and Leonardo Martinez will present the findings outlined in their new breifing.