What Most of Us Don’t Know About the G20

During July 7 and 8, the G20 met in Hamburg, Germany.

1. The G20 is overwhelmingly male:

1. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway (Norway is an “invitee,” not a G20 member.)
2. Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund chief
3. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
4. Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

2. The G20 should be called the G19. Below you can see its 19 nations. The 20th is the European Union.

3. The GDPs of the G20 countries represent close to 85% of the world economy (2015):

4. At 63%, the G20’s share of the world’s population (2015) is less than its economic presence:

5. The G20 uses sherpas:

The individuals who help “guide” G20 leaders, do the diplomatic legwork, and navigate challenging terrain are called sherpas (really). Earlier this year, the sherpas met in Bonn to plan for Hamburg.

6. Hotel Rooms

The U.S. delegation reputedly had trouble finding luxury hotel rooms. The Four Seasons was booked by the Saudis by the time they called. So they wound up at Hamburg’s Senate guest house and the U.S. Consulate General.

7. The Goodie Gift Bags

When the Russians hosted the 2013 G20 meeting, the goodie bags they gave to delegates were said to have contained “spying gadgets.” Those items included USB thumb drives and phone chargers.

Our Bottom Line: Globalization

G20 leaders expressed their continuing commitment to globalization and to sustained growth in their concluding declaration. It is nice to see that most world leaders remain aware of the benefits of an interconnected world.

Next year they meet in Argentina, Japan in 2019 and then Saudi Arabia.

My sources and more: Vox had the hotel story while the gift bags were described in the LA Times and the Telegraph. However, for the key G20 facts, do go to the WEF and for the concluding Declaration, The Australian. Finally, if you want to continue, China’s (fascinating) preparations for the 2016 G20 are here.