Author: Hugh Jorgensen

First day of T20 summit focuses on reasons for optimism amid growing challenges to multilateralism

By G20, , , ,

Optimism amid growing challenges to multilateralism

In the wake of the tense G7 Leaders Summit in Italy, it is clear that advocates for multilateralism, cross-border cooperation, and globalism in general, must redouble their efforts if they are to successfully counter growing populist support for inward-looking nationalism. In a refreshing reminder of the resolve of those committed to global cooperation, the 2017 Think20 Summit has successfully brought together several hundred policy experts, researchers, officials, and stakeholders with an interest in the G20, from across the world, in order to discuss, consolidate, and give one final push to the large body of policy work that the Think20 community has managed to produce over the last six months.

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Two Ideas for the G20 to keep the US in the climate-change lifeboat

By G20, , ,

Image: Céline CharveriatAt the recent G7 energy ministerial in Rome, the Trump administration’s listlessness on climate change prevented attendees from being able to sign off on an endorsement of the Paris climate deal. With the G7 leaders summit in Taormina now only one month away, and the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg only two months after that, it seems Donald Trump is yet to be won over by those in his cabinet who believe it would be a mistake for an American President to attend both summits as the first world leader to cut and run from the Paris Agreement.

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How the G20 can deal with Trump’s Chinese currency complaints in Baden-Baden

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Photo: Trump Cartoon

Trump still aims to designate China as a currency manipulator

Last week in an interview with Reuters, U.S. President Trump labelled the Chinese as “grand champions at manipulation of currency”, indicating he has not fully backtracked from his campaign promise to designate China as a ‘currency manipulator’ on ‘day one’ of his Presidency. The position of Washington on this topic has not exactly been crystal clear, however, with the new U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, announcing on the same day as Trump’s comment that the Treasury was in fact still going through the formal process of analysing Chinese currency practices, and that no judgements would be made prior to the completion of that process. …

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Key Policy Actions for Sustainable Land and Water Use to Serve People

By G20, , , ,
Network and data exchange over planet earth in space

Consider Land, water, and energy jointly in policies

Just in time for the meeting of the G20 Agricultural Ministers on 22 January 2017 in Berlin the T20 Task Force “Towards Ending Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture” published its Policy Brief on Key Policy Actions for Sustainable Land and Water Use to Serve People.

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Making Germany’s 2017 G20 priorities a reality

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Image: Buildings at Hamburger Hafen

Priorities for the Hamburg summit

There are seven months left until the 2017 G20 Summit takes place in Hamburg. With the German Government having released its priorities as the incoming G20 president in December 2016, what can we realistically now hope for in Hamburg? One way to think about this question is to cast our minds forward to July 9, the day after the Hamburg Summit, and consider whether the announced priorities are liable to have helped or hindered G20 negotiations in 2017. However, this raises a further question – what sort of achievements or progress should we be looking for to determine if the Hamburg Summit is a success?  

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