In the wake of the atrocities in Paris on Nov. 13, it is no surprise that the Group of 20 meeting in Turkey has turned to the issue of terrorism and Islamic State (ISIS).
If the world leaders present had ignored the Paris attacks, it would have been seen as myopic and a denial of the responsibilities of political power. Nevertheless, just as at the St. Petersburg meeting in 2013, the agenda set by the host has been blown off course by events.
The gathering may be an excellent additional opportunity for a select group of world leaders to meet and discuss the big issues, but the question must be asked: What exactly is the point of the G20?
The group started, like the G7 and G8 before it, with a tight focus on global financial issues and the world economy. Since the first meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in 1999, however, it has widened its remit ever further.
In 2008, it became a meeting between the member countries’ heads of state, and this year, the main meeting is accompanied by five further established engagement groups of ministers, officials, and civil society representatives, plus a new one launched by the Turkish hosts: W20, or Women20. I leave readers to appreciate the irony here.
