Explainer: Everything you need to know about the G20

A partial view of the entrance to the Costa Salguero Center which will host the upcoming G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, taken on November 27, 2018.(AFP / Juan Mabromata)
  • Who's who and what's on the agenda at this year's summit Buenos Aires
  • It's not all serious business, as evidenced by the leaders' 'family photo' t

LONDON: On Friday the leaders of the world’s most prosperous nations will gather in Argentina for the Group of 20 summit, known simply as the G20.

Over two days, the leaders of 19 countries plus the EU, along with ministers and advisers, will meet, discuss and issue communiques for public consumption. The real work happens in closed sessions of small groups in side rooms.

For some the 2018 summit is a poignant event. The presidency of Michel Temer of Brazil will end on Saturday. His  newly elected successor Jair Bolsonaro will also be in Buenos Aires so he can assume office immediately. For German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it may not be the last G20, but since she will step down at the next election, there will not be many more.

 

 

Every summit has a theme and this year Argentina as the host nation has chosen “Building consensus for fair and sustainable development,” and has identified three key issues for the agenda: The future of work, infrastructure for development, and a sustainable food future.