Session: Session 4 / Grand Ballroom III
Date/Time: May 1, 2013 / 09:00-10:15

Panel Description

The global financial crisis exposed weaknesses in the international system. This fragility raises significant questions about whether the twenty-first century will be shaped by disintegration and disorder or by a renewed international social contract and rules-based order. The G-20 is a fascinating case study of multilateral cooperation and collective problem-solving. In its current form as a summit-level forum, the G-20 was elevated by the recent economic crisis. The composition of the G-20 symbolizes shifts in global power and influence that broaden but complicate interactional cooperation. The group represents the major recent innovation in the multilateral system that brings together rising and established powers as peer equals. However, after four years, questions remain about the effectiveness and sustainability of G-20 leadership.

Guiding Questions

1. 1. Has the G-20 lost the momentum of its early responses to the financial crisis and is it in danger of losing relevance?
2. 2. What are the key differences between the role it played then and should play now, and how does this affect its agenda?
3. 3. How do we view the G-20 as a test bed of cooperation generally and particularly between rising and established powers? Does recent experience make us optimistic about cooperation between the world’s major powers, particularly the United States, China, and Europe?