The London G20 Summit
December 2008 - April 2009
For three months ahead of the London G20 Summit, ONE members urged world leaders to listen to and address the needs of developing countries, particularly in Africa.
Overview
In the midst of the economic crisis, the G20 Summit in London brought together leaders representing 20 of the world's largest economies to plan for global economic recovery. Previously, only finance ministers had participated in G20 summits. The London Summit would be only the second time that heads of state would gather and the first time that highly influential US President Barack Obama would be present. Clearly, this summit would be critical in shaping the world's emergence from the financial crisis.
ONE took action to make sure African voices participated in this important summit, and leaders included developing countries in plans for global economic recovery.
Campaign Milestones
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Dec 8 2008
Include Africa Petition Launches
ONE members start to take action before the G20, petitioning the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to include a representative of the African Union at the G20 Summit.
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Feb 6 2009
Africa Included
While working with Number 10 Downing Street to arrange delivery of our petition with more than 50,000 signatures, Brown took the opportunity of the African Union (AU) Summit to ask the AU to participate in the G20.
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Feb 17 2009
ONE Thanks Gordon Brown
ONE members send thank you notes to Prime Minister Brown.
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Feb 20 2009
Petition Delivery
At Number 10 Downing Street, ONE delivers the Include Africa petition, with 51,583 signatures, along with 32,319 signatures on a thank you message to Gordon Brown for inviting the African Union.
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Mar 24 2009
Asking Obama for Advocacy
ONE members start taking action just before the G20 Summit to encourage President Barack Obama to advocate for the resources, reform, and regulation developing countries need to weather the financial crisis.
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Mar 30 2009
Petition Delivery to Obama
ONE hands over our petition with more than 40,000 signatures to President Obama’s advisors just before the President’s departure for London.
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Apr 2 2009
"Financial Times" Supplement
On the day of the summit, ONE works with the very influential "Financial Times" newspaper to arrange a special four page supplement on Africa in the credit crisis. The "Financial Times" also included a special article from ONE supporter Bob Geldof.
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Apr 2 2009
Inside the Summit
ONE’s Virginia Simmons and Oliver Buston, along with ONE supporter Bob Geldof, attend the summit as part of the G20Voice Project, reporting live from inside the summit and engaging with other media to increase attention on the needs of developing countries in the downturned global economy.
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Apr 2 2009
Summit Outcomes
Though lacking in vital details, the G20 communiqué includes important initial commitments in the form of resources, reform, and regulations for the people in developing countries who are suffering from a recession not of their making.
Quick Facts
83,902
the number of signatures from ONE members around the world which were delivered to Number 10, asking Gordon Brown to include the African Union, and thanking him for doing so.
$50 billion
amount of funding for Low Income Countries included as part of the G20’s stimulus package for the world.
9,680
people from around the world who turned to the ONE Blog April 1-3, 2009, for complete coverage of the G20 Summit as it happened.