The G20 London Summit and its impact for developing countries
The April 2009 G20 Summit represented a key political event in the discussion of global economic development. EWB-UK writer, Joe Rowley, reported directly from the press room at the Summit, giving a first hand account of the decisions and news on the ground.
Brief overview of the G20 Summit
Formed in 1999, the G20 (Group of twenty finance ministers and central bank governors) collectively represent two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of global GDP and 80% of world trade. The establishment of a forum comprising both developed and developing countries is recognition of the broadening global economy and subsequent interdependence of countries across world.
The second meeting of the group at the London Summit in April 2009 sought to address the issues and impact of the current financial crisis, with “the goal of building a resilient, sustainable and green recovery.” The aims and strategies expressed in the final communiqué issued following the event reflect an acknowledgement of the severity of the crisis on the weaker economies of the world. Pledges of $50 billion “to support social protection, boost trade and safeguard development in low income countries” promise a renewed commitment to improve the situation of those impacted hardest by the global economic downturn.
What will the Summit mean for development and sustainability?
The day before the Summit Duncan Green, the Head of Research at Oxfam, hosted a round table discussion where reporters, including Joe, discussed the leaked draft communiqué that was printed in the Financial Times on 29th March. Joe commented that this process “was quite illuminating because Duncan Green highlighted a number of stock phrases that mask the fact that very little is actually being committed to. Phrases such as “make moves towards” etc. In the case of green technology a lot of these phrases kept cropping up. What exactly does “we agreed to make the best possible use of investment funded by fiscal stimulus programmes towards the goal of building a resilient, sustainable and green recovery” actually mean?"
Joe Rowley interviewing Ed Miliband
In his interview with Joe, Ed Miliband, UK Climate Change Secretary, reiterated the commitment to a green agenda. “Climate change is urgent and needs to be tackled…it is imperative that…the world comes together and reaches a global agreement.” He further commented that “with the ingenuity of the scientists and others, the will of government and the support of people I actually think we can tackle the problem.” This necessity for a widespread engagement with issue of climate change is precisely the factor that makes it such a challenge. Ensuring both political and public support for proposed solutions is never going to be easy, as different concerns and priorities are brought to the table.
Where does EWB-UK fit in?
The reservations about the ability of high level government rhetoric and policy commitments to directly benefit those most in need of support illustrate that despite the high profile nature of events such as the London Summit, the effectiveness of small scale grassroots development should by no means be underestimated. Focused on involvement at the community level, projects such as those undertaken by EWB-UK offer the potential for empowerment and sustainability that is harder to achieve when resources and planning are channelled at the government level.
The role of EWB-UK is promoting effective development methods is also at the networking and educational level. Whilst reporting from the Summit, Joe was impressed by how many people had heard of EWB-UK. Having established a respected position within the development sector, EWB-UK can combine this with, as Joe commented, “targeted publicity…and creating a good relationship with the press” to “create a lot of ‘soft pressure’.”
Watch out for a further article on Joe's experience of blogging, as well as further interviews...
Written by Marie-Louise O'Hanrahan