Previous Summits

The G20 Summit, which Japan hosted for the first time in Osaka in 2019, included G20 members, 8 invited countries, and representatives from 9 international organizations, and was historically the largest Summit ever held in Japan. Leaders of the major countries gathered to identify a common ground, and to jointly grapple with major issues related to the world economy. Amidst worldwide uneasiness and dissatisfaction stemming from changes accompanying globalization, Japan took leadership as the Presidency, ensuring that the G20 expressed strong message to the world via G20 Osaka Leaders' Declaration, which includes various areas such as leading global economic growth through promoting free trade and innovation, and addressing inequalities, as well as contributing to resolving environmental and global challenges.

Argentina assumed the presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2017, until December 1, 2018 when the Leaders' Summit concluded in the City of Buenos Aires. The country was able to find consensus on sensitive issues such as international trade, steel overcapacity, as well as the role of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and how the 2030 Agenda should be addressed.

Under the theme "Building consensus for equitable and sustainable development", these issues were strategic at the G20 2018 and defined three priorities that permeated the agenda of the Argentine presidency: "the future of work", "infrastructure for development" and "a sustainable food future". The G20 agenda had people at its core. Likewise, the gender perspective was another of the issues that Argentina promoted and was strategic and cross-cutting in the different working groups of the forum.

Argentina worked at all times at the G20 with the intention of promoting the perspective of developing countries and with the aim of giving the meeting a broader and more inclusive vision.

Under the motto “Shaping an Interconnected World”, the G20 in Hamburg (2017) prioritized and paved the way for tangible multilateral cooperation on key issues. The G20 demonstrated notable prescience on pandemic preparedness and AMR, and established the G20 Africa Partnership including the Compact with Africa, focused on sustainable investment and opportunities.

The G20 in Hamburg saw adoption of further new initiatives, such as the G20 Hamburg Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth for Paris Agreement implementation, and the Hamburg Update, to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Further, the G20 reaffirmed multilateral rules-based trading system, including renewed commitment to sustainable supply chains and addressing excess capacities; reinforced counter-terrorism capabilities via the Financial Action Task Force; made concrete steps towards achieving gender equality through women’s empowerment (including initiatives like #eSkills4Girls and Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, designed to help women in developing countries to grow their own businesses), and highlighted the need to address the underlying causes of displacement, and the needs of refugees and migrants.

On September 4-5, 2016, the 11th G20 Summit was held in Hangzhou, China. The theme was "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy." Participants held extensive discussions on four key agenda items: breaking a new path for growth, more effective and efficient global economic and financial governance, robust international trade and investment, and inclusive and interconnected development.

Coinciding with a crucial juncture for world economic growth and the transformation of the G20, the Hangzhou Summit  concluded with the adoption of the G20 Leaders' Communique Hangzhou Summit and 28 outcome documents. The outcomes reflected the spirit of working together to meet challenges and charted the course for the world economy. The endorsement of pragmatic action plans such as the G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the G20 Strategy for Global Trade Growth reflected a commitment to common development.

The Hangzhou Summit conveyed this message to the international community: The G20 serves not only its members but also the wider world, especially developing countries and their people.

Türkiye was G20 Chair in 2015 and hosted the Leaders’ Summit in Antalya on 15-16 November 2015. The Turkish G20 Presidency aimed to focus on developing more inclusive global growth, enhancing investments, and effectively implementing previous commitments. Therefore, Türkiye defined its G20 Presidency priorities with three I’s: “Inclusiveness, Investment, and Implementation”.

The Leaders' Summit gathered representatives from 26 countries and seven international organizations, with 13.000 participants.

On the first day of the Summit, Leaders attended the working lunch on “Development and Climate Change”, a session titled “Inclusive Growth: Global Economy, Growth Strategies, Employment and Investment Strategies” and the working dinner on “Global Challenges: Terrorism and Refugee Crisis”.

Leaders discussed financial regulations, international tax, anti-corruption and IMF reform in the session titled "Enhancing Resilience". Trade and energy topped the agenda of the working lunch where the final communiqué of the Summit and Antalya Action Plan were adopted.

Australia’s 2014 G20 Summit was held in Brisbane, 15-16 November. The Summit delivered outcomes across the agenda’s three themes of (i) growth and jobs, (ii) economic resilience, and (iii) strengthening global institutions.

Leaders at the Brisbane Summit discussed the key global economic challenges and strategies for economic growth. The G20 committed to lifting G20 GDP by more than 2 per cent over five years. It also agreed to boost growth and create quality jobs, as set out in the Brisbane Action Plan and associated growth strategies.

Leaders agreed also to increase investment in infrastructure through the creation of a Global Infrastructure Hub, improve energy collaboration, strengthen energy markets through the G20 Principles on Energy Collaboration, and reduce the gap between male and female workforce participation rates by 25 percent by 2025 through the Brisbane Goal. Leaders  agreed as well to reforms to strengthen financial regulations and combat tax avoidance. The Summit resulted in a Leaders’ Communique, the Brisbane Action Plan, and a standalone statement on Ebola.

The 8th G20 Summit was held in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 5-6, 2013.

The main topics proposed for consideration of the summit were:Implementation of the Framework Agreement for Sustainable, Strong and Balanced Growth;providing employment;reforming the international monetary and financial system;reform of financial regulation and supervision;sustainable development of global energy markets;promoting international development;strengthening multilateral trade; anti-corruption.

As for the objectives of the Russian G20 Presidency, it decided not to introduce any new items to the agenda but rather concentrate on the traditional track in support of a sustainable, inclusive and balanced growth and job creation around the world. Russia concentrated on coordinating policy measures that could be taken to stimulate the expansion and developing of long-term investment sources of growth, as well as discussing the future of sovereign borrowings within the context of the national commitments to a set of agreed international rules.

In order to ensure the continuity and implementation of the earlier commitments Russia focused to work with partners to advance traditional issues on the G20 agenda, such as the state of the global economy, implementation of the Framework Agreement for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth, facilitation of job creation, reform of the currency and financial regulation and supervision systems, including the reform of the IMF formula and quotas, as well as maintaining stability in global energy markets, stepping up international development, strengthening multilateral trade and countering corruption.

Mexico assumed the presidency of the G20 in 2012 with the objective of achieving a more effective global economic governance system, considering the interests and priorities of emerging and developing countries.

The priorities of the Mexican presidency were economic stabilization and structural reforms for growth and employment; strengthening financial systems and promoting financial inclusion to boost economic growth; improving the international financial architecture in an interconnected global economy; strengthening food security and mitigating commodity price volatility; as well as promoting sustainable development, green growth and the fight against climate change.

The sixth G20 Leaders' Summit was held on November 3-4, 2011 in Cannes, France. The Heads of State and Government adopted action plans in the areas of agricultural price volatility and for growth and employment. Topics such as food safety, banking and financial regulation, the fight against corruption, and preventing the closure of national markets were also discussed. The issue of the social consequences of globalization was added to the group's agenda.

The fifth G20 Summit was held on November 11 and 12, 2010 in Seoul. During the summit, the leaders put forward solutions to prevent the rise of trade protectionism and exchange rate manipulation policies. They also agreed to reform the IMF's quota system and executive board; to create a framework to promote sustainable growth; new rules on banking regulation and systemically important financial institutions; and credit lines for emergency situations.

The G20 Summit took place on June 26 and 27, 2010, at a time of economic recovery for most of the members. The G20 leaders tackled the challenge of combating persistent unemployment and the lingering impacts of the previous crisis years. Among the results of the Canadian presidency were the establishment of macroeconomic policy recommendations for groups of countries under the Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth and the inclusion of the fight against corruption on the agenda.

The second G20 Summit was held in Pittsburgh, USA, on September 24 and 25, 2009. On that occasion, the leaders consolidated the G20 as a permanent mechanism and the "main forum for international economic cooperation" between its members. A framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth was created. There were also decisions to strengthen the international financial regulatory system, modernize international institutions to reflect the new global economy and reform the mandate, mission and governance of the IMF and development banks. In addition, the leaders discussed measures in the areas of energy security and climate change. Finally, the G20 members committed themselves to supporting the most vulnerable and to putting quality jobs at the heart of economic recovery, promoting an open global economy.

During the London Summit on April 2, 2009, the G20 leaders met to discuss collective actions to restore the confidence of economic agents; to strengthen regulation; to finance financial institutions to overcome the crisis and prevent its recurrence; to promote trade and capital flows; to prevent the closure of markets, laying the foundations for a sustainable and inclusive resumption of growth and employment.