Author: Axel Berger

T20 – Cooperation to overcome the challenges to multilateralism?

Photo: Buenos Aires Skyline

The T20 summit assembled 1000 researchers from 68 countries during the past two days in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to present policy recommendations on issues such as future of work, climate action, trade and social inclusion. A joint communique was handed over to G20 Chair and Argentinean President Mauricio Macri that called for more engagement to overcome the challenges faced by multilateral cooperation in all these areas.

After the G7 Summit: When you think it can’t get any worse…

Photo: ShredderThe G7 Summit on 8 and 9 June 2018 in Charlevoix, Canada, ended in the worst possible outcome. Even an open clash at the negotiation table would have been better than President Trump’s post-summit withdrawal from the joint communique. On his road of destruction of the existing international order, Donald Trump has deprived the G7 of its operating principle: the forging of shared purpose as a basis of joint action among a select group of important countries. This is a bad omen for the upcoming G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the end of the year.

Reading recommendation: For Africa, the G20 Hamburg Summit is a door stopper, not a bookend

Image: Juliane RosinAfrican leaders welcomed the Attention at this G20 Summit and praised Germany for the “new partnerships”. In concrete terms though, what results from this effort are the announcements of funding of less than $ 500 million. Time has come for the continent to position itself as part of the solution rather than part of the problems to address. Instead of being too distracted by others‘ plans, it’s time to have a plan for how the continent deals with them, G20 included.