2009 Pittsburgh G20

On September 24 and 25, twenty of the world's developed countries and emerging economies gathered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the G20 Summit. The summit was a follow-up to meetings last November and April in Washington D.C. and London, respectively.

The Pittsburgh Summit offered another chance to bring Africa into the center of the global economy recovery. In today's interconnected world, Africa has enormous potential and offers a wealth of untapped agricultural, energy and intellectual resources that could help resolve the global food, financial and climate crises. In an effort to recognize the important role that the continent plays in today's world, the G20 should agree to hold an upcoming G20 Summit in Africa. Africa must be part of the solution.

The gathered offered the G20 an opportunity to build on previous commitments made in Italy and London at the G8 and G20 Summits earlier this year.  ONE is urging the G20 to do the following:

• Ensure that the implementation of the pledged agriculture assistance is coordinated and comprehensive;
• Provide clarity on the $20 billion pledged as part of the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative and expand participation to additional G20 members;
• Ensure that any global climate deal mobilises funding to support the response to climate change in developing countries;
• Agree on a down-payment to help developing countries deal immediately with the impact of climate change and build trust in international negotiations;
• Ensure that any Doha Deal enables African countries to benefit from increased trade opportunities through specific progress in the area of subsidies, market access, aid-for-trade and policy space;
• If such a deal is not possible through Doha, developed countries should each agree to implement a set of rules and policies to improve the trade and investment climate in Africa.
• Catalyze an international assessment on what is needed to achieve the MDGs by 2015 and an African-driven action plan;
• Increase and improve health and education financing;
• Support efforts that strengthen African efforts to improve governance and accountability

Read all of ONE's detailed recommendations for the G20.