G20 divisions diminish its potential

IN 2009, during the storm of the global financial crisis, the G20 coordinated a stimulus package of some US$1 trillion to bolster the global economy. The success of the London summit, chaired by then-UK prime minister Gordon Brown, was widely seen to have allowed the G20 to seize the mantle from the G7 as the premier forum for international cooperation and global governance.

Yet, fast-forward to 2023, and the body continues to fail to fully realise the full scale of the ambition thrust upon it.

To be sure, the just-concluded Indian summit was a modest success overall, amid low expectations. Going into the event, there was speculation it would not be possible to get an end-of-summit agreement across the nations, at all.