These are testing times for major global actors and, particularly, for the European Union (EU). Key elections and international turmoil may turn 2017 into a last wake-up call for Europe if it is not able to take full advantage of G7 and G20 and if a new road map for the EU is not designed.
In the Delhi Action Plan, devised at the 4th BRICS Summit in March 2012 in India, the BRICS members committed themselves to coordinating their positions at G20 Summits. What has been the role of the 5 BRICS countries in the context of the G20 since then?
The world is struggling to comprehend the implications of Donald Trump’s election as United States President, including the isolationist, protectionist and anti-trade policies he advanced during the campaign. His election, along with the United Kingdom’s approval of the Brexit referendum in June 2016, has shaken the principles which underpin the G20, namely the pursuit of closer international cooperation.
Donald Trump will become President of the USA on 20 January 2017. Even if he only implements part of what he has announced, a political earthquake will be unleashed. This will radically change the conditions the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Climate Agreement. Efforts to organize global cooperation need to be massively expanded: the EU needs to strengthen its international profile, and it needs a 100-day programme outlining its priorities. The German G20 Presidency can help to strengthen climate protection and the 2030 Agenda. These are the foundations upon which the transatlantic partnership as well as dialogue between societies must move forward.
In this blog, Alex He from The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) explores the G20 Hangzhou Summit outcomes, and China’s G20 presidency, for insights into China’s “strategy and perceptions around global economic governance”. He also considers the conditions that are required for the outcomes of the Hangzhou Summit to be successfully adopted and implemented in the coming years.