Over two days, heads of State and Government from the world’s leading economies will address some of the most pressing issues on the global agenda.
Key world leaders will meet tomorrow on Friday 30th November in Buenos Aires for the 2018 G20 Summit. Emmanuel Macron, Theresa May, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin, Justin Trudeau, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, together with host president, Mauricio Macri, are among the Summit’s participants. It is the first time in the forum’s history that the meeting is being held in South America.
The Summit will also bring together leaders from G20 guest countries, including Sebastián Piñera from Chile, Pedro Sánchez from Spain and Mark Rutte from the Netherlands, as well as senior officials from partner international organizations such as Jim Yong Kim (World Bank), Christine Lagarde (IMF) and António Guterres (United Nations).
Over two days of discussions held behind closed doors, the 38 heads of delegation will work to build consensus based on the agreements reached at the 80 plus pre-Summit meetings of G20 Argentina. The goal is to agree on a final document focused on fair and sustainable development.
The official agenda starts on Friday 30 November at 10.00 am, when leaders arrive at the Summit venue, Costa Salguero, a site located along the Río de la Plata. At 12.30 pm, after a closed-door retreat session, President Macri will open the plenary sessions, which will be held under the slogan “A fair and sustainable future.” Macri’s opening remarks will be streamed live on the G20 YouTube channel. With a focus on the core messages of “Putting people first” and “Building consensus,” the discussions on Friday will end at 4.45 pm.
At around 6.00 pm, leaders and their partners will participate in a cultural event at the Colón Theatre and will attend an official dinner afterwards.
The agenda continues on Saturday 1 December with plenary sessions starting at 10.00 am, followed by a working lunch entitled “Embracing opportunities.” At 2.45 pm local time, once the closed-door sessions are over, Macri will give a press conference to brief on the Summit’s main conclusions.
The meeting in Buenos Aires will be held 10 years after the first G20 Leaders’ Summit. First convened in Washington D.C., leading heads of State and Government from around the world agreed on an action plan to address the 2008 financial and economic crisis.
The Argentine presidency’s main goal is to build consensus for fair and sustainable development. In this regard, Argentina defined three priorities this year, each of which have been addressed with a strong gender focus: the future of work, infrastructure for development and a sustainable food future.
The G20 started out in 1999 as a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors. In 2008, amidst the global financial crisis, it evolved into what it is today: a major forum for dialogue and decision-making attended by world leaders from vital economies. Together, the G20 members represent 85% of global GDP, two-thirds of the world’s population, and 75% of international trade.
