Name: Are the G20 summits more than a photo op for world leaders?
Uploaded: 2025-11-20T14:18:34.065Z
Duration: 2 min 7 s
Description: Every year world leaders fly across the world to pose for photos and shake hands at the G20 summit. But what do they achieve besides spectacular photos?

Every year world leaders fly across the world to pose for photos and shake hands at the G20 summit. But what do they achieve besides spectacular photos?

Johannesburg

The G20, comprising 19 countries, the European Union, and since 2023, the African Union, serves as a forum for the world's largest economies to address global challenges. Originally established in 1999 for finance ministers, it evolved into an annual summit for state leaders following the 2008 financial crisis, expanding its agenda to include health, climate change, and sustainable development.

While the G20 was commended for its coordinated response to the 2008 crisis, it has since faced difficulties in achieving similar impact, as its decisions are not legally binding and member interests often diverge. The summits are frequently accompanied by protests, reflecting ongoing debates about the group's effectiveness and inclusivity.

Are the G20 summits more than a photo op for world leaders?

The G20. More than just a photo op? While the world's most powerful leaders loathe and shake hands on stage, massive protests rage outside. G20 summits tend to deliver striking images. But what are the world's leaders actually doing there? The Group of 20 is a forum of the largest economies in the world. It is made up of 19 member countries and two regional bodies. The European Union and, since 2023, the African Union. So technically, G21 would be more accurate. But it's still called G20. The summit was created in 1999 as a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors to discuss global financial issues. In response to the global financial crisis in 2008, an upgrade was needed. The G20 became the yearly summit of state leaders we know today. Over the years, its focus broadened to subjects like health, climate change and sustainable development. But why did the world need another global summit in addition to the G7 and the UN General Assembly? While the G7 consists mainly of Western democracies, whose share of global GDP has continued to decline in recent years, the G20 accounts for roughly 80 percent of global GDP and population. At the same time, the summit is small enough for leaders to engage in direct talks with each other and not just hold speeches like at the UN General Assembly. Sounds promising, right? So what has the G20 achieved? The forum was praised for its coordinated response to the 2008 financial crisis. But the G20 has struggled to make a similar impact since. The summit's decisions are not legally binding, meaning implementation is not a given. They are nevertheless often hard won as the interests of members diverge widely. This setup led to largely uncoordinated responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war in Gaza. On the streets, the summits have regularly been marked by protests, whether from anti-globalization or environmental activists.

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