G20: What will the heads of state and government talk about at the summit in New Delhi?

G20: What will the heads of state and government talk about at the summit in New Delhi?

Leading President and Prime Minister from all over the world meet from September 9th to 10th for the annual G20 summit in the Indian capital Neu-Delhi.

The main topic of this year's meeting is sustainable development, but it is expected that the continued conflict in Ukraine will also be discussed.

What is the G20?

The G20-or Group of the twenty-is a country club that meets to discuss plans for the global economy.

A total of 85 % of global economic output and 75 % of world trade. They accommodate two thirds of the world's population.

The members are the European Union and 19 nations-Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turk. Kingdom and the USA. Spain is always invited as a guest.

A smaller group of G20 member countries meets as G7.

Some of the G20 member states-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa-have formed their own group called Brics.

This should be expanded after six other nations have been invited to participate: Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

What does the group discuss?

The topics discussed by the G20 and government heads have in recent years have expanded from purely economic issues to topics such as climate change, sustainable energy, international debt and taxation of multinational corporate.

Every year another G20 member state takes over the chair and sets the agenda of the meetings.

Indonesia in 2022 the presidency and the top of the state and government heads took place in Bali.

As President in 2023, India wants the summit in New Delhi to focus on sustainable development as well as on measures for even more even distribution of economic growth between industrial and developing countries.

The summit also offers group sessions the opportunity for one-on-one interviews.

The White House says that US President Joe Biden with individual heads of state and government on the fight against climate change, Russia will speak in Ukraine and the instigation of global organizations such as the World Bank, to do more for poverty.

are there controversial topics for the G20 countries?

Russia's war in Ukraine should cause disagreements at the summit in New Delhi.

In March 2022, the G20 Foreign Minister could not agree at their meeting due to violent arguments about the war between the delegations of the United States and Russia.

At the top of the state and government in Bali in November 2022, the discussions were the focus of the crisis, in which rockets from the war on the Polish side of the border to Ukraine were.

The Russian President Putin will not take part in the summit in New Delhi. The Kremlin says he is "too busy" and instead his Foreign Minister Sergei Lawrov will go.

Mr. Lawrow also represented Putin at the latest Brics summit in South Africa, although the president also spoke by video transmission at this meeting.

In May, China and Saudi Arabia boycotted a G20 meeting on the subject of tourism that took place in Kaschmir because the region comprises areas that are used by both Pakistan and India.

Why is there a "family photo"?

At the end of important summit meetings, the heads of government often pose for a group photo, the so-called "family photo".

However, the diplomatic discord, which reveals the image, sometimes also makes headlines.

in 2018, after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi consulate in Istanbul, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was largely ignored and placed at the other end of the group.

What has the G20 achieved?

At the summit of the state and government heads of 2008 and 2009, the heads of state and government agreed during the financial crisis on a number of measures to rescue the global economic system.

However, some critics argue that subsequent summit meetings were less successful, which is often due to tensions between rival world powers.

However, the bilateral meetings at the summit often proved to be constructive.

In 2019, the then US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Osaka agreed to resolve a big trade dispute.

lead G20 summit protests?

Around the summit meetings of the heads of state and government often take place.

Anti-capitalist demonstrators demonstrated at the 2010 summit in Toronto and the summit 2017 in Hamburg.

Thousands of demonstrators marched during the 2018 summit in Rio de Janeiro to protest against the G20 economic policy.

In 2009 Ian Tomlinson died a newspaper seller after being involved in protests during the G20 summit in London.

Image: reuters reuters AFP