Day 1: G20 Summit at Brisbane, Australia
Day 1: G20 Summit at Brisbane, Australia
World leaders have converged at Brisbane, Australia for the G20 Summit being held here. The 2 day summit was attended by US, Asian, European and Russian leaders among others to focus on growth and development. The BBC correspondent in Brisbane also said that the agenda may include the Ukraine issue, tackling the spread of Ebola and climate change.
About the G20
The G20 or the Group of Twenty comprise two thirds of the world’s population which is 85% of the world’s GDP and 75% of tis global trade. G20 first began in the year 1999 as a yearly meeting for finance ministers and central bank governors following the financial crisis in Asia and the 2008 global financial crisis. G20 comprises 19 countries and the EU. It aims to strengthen the global economy and economic cooperation. At this summit, the non member countries invited by the host nation included New Zealand, Singapore, Senegal and Spain.“That is millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in extra production,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke as he officially opened the two-day G20 conference, according to the Hindu.
Australia’s PM also vowed that world leaders would take the initiative to add USD 2 trillion to global GDP and promises freer trade and investment in infrastructure. Abbot had earlier promised that this year’s G20 summit would be more than just a talkfest. Though attempts were made to evade the issue, US President Obama and UN Secretary Ban Ki Moon put climate change on the agenda. However, Abbot concentrated on economic aspects of growth, while India’s PM Narendra Modi said that growth and reforms should be people driven so that development benefits everyone.
Abbot promised that world leaders would deliver on the initiative to add to the global GDP by “more than 2 percent” and also that “Yes, we want freer trade and we will deliver it. Yes, we need more infrastructure and we will build it,” he said.“This is our message to the world — that governments can deliver, that governments can agree that the world can be better, that there can be higher jobs, higher growth and more jobs,” he also added. A G20 leaders’ statement issued has voiced its deep concern regarding the Ebola outbreak, which has so far killed more than 5000 people in West Africa.
“This outbreak illustrates the urgency of addressing longer-term systemic issues and gaps in capability, preparedness and response capacity that expose the global economy to the impacts of infectious disease,” the statement of collective concern said.
The Ebola outbreak is a matter of grave concern and more steps plus funds need to be available so that the outbreak can be controlled and the disease can be eliminated from the world. A disease free, pollution free world is just as important as growth and development. “While we still face economic challenges in many parts of the world, I’m optimistic our 2 per cent commitment will deliver the growth the world needs,” Australia’s Treasurer Mr. Hockey said. Climate change remains an important issue. In fact, all are linked to one another in that sustainable development promotes climate conservation and positive social change, as well as establishment of healthcare infrastructure.It is up to the world leaders to do their best for the nations they lead. Outcomes are important otherwise such meetings will sadly be reduced to talkfests only.
