Civil G20 Dialog held in Incheon

Author: 
Jessica Seoyoung Choi

G20 "sherpas," whose job it is to lay the groundwork for the summit, and NGO representatives held a "Civil G20 Dialogue" meeting to talk about the G20 agenda on October 15 at the Songdo Conventia in Incheon.

Around 100 representatives and members of 70 NGOs from 40 different countries attended the meeting with G20 sherpas, including the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), OxFam, and Social Watch.

The meeting, hosted by G20 Preparation Committee Vice-chief Lee Chang-yong and GCAP Preparation Committee Chief Lee Seong-hun, involved discussions about trading, financial regulators, and G20 governance.

The NGOs were most interested in G20 policies on trade, global food security, job creation, and cooperation with other international organizations. Their recommendations were later delivered to the sherpas.

The G20 sherpas explained the G20 agenda, and requested active cooperation from the NGOs.

The G20 Preparation Committee said, "The legitimacy and efficiency of the G20 summit will be improved through cooperation with NGOs," and went on to say, "Thanks to NGOs’ participation during these preparatory steps, the final termsof an agreement will receive widespread support."

Sherpa dialogs with civil society representatives have been an annual part of the G8 platform, but this was the first time
such a meeting was held for the G20.

AttachmentSize
2010-M-CiviL_G20_dialog.pdf137.14 KB