What is the G20 and why does it matter?

The 2022 summit in Bali on November 15-16 will feature leaders from 19 countries, the EU and guest nations

President Sheikh Mohamed arrives for the G20 Summit in Nusa, Bali. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

US President Joe Biden, right, and China's President Xi Jinping, left, shake hands at the summit. AFP

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives. AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron is welcomed. AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) arrives. EPA

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan arrive to attend the meeting. AFP

Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida and his wife Yuko Kishida arrive. Reuters

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives. Reuters

Students wave flags of G20 member nations to greet world leaders, on a street near Ngurah Rai International airport in Bali. EPA

US President Joe Biden and Indonesia's President Joko Widodo hold a meeting in Bali. AFP

A video by Amazon and Bezos Earth Fund executive chairman Jeff Bezos is displayed at the B20 Summit for business leaders, held before the G20 leaders summit. AP

US President Joe Biden arrives for the summit in Bali. AFP

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) arrives to attend the G20 summit. AFP

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee arrive. EPA

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a 'huddle' press conference with political journalists on board a plane heading for Bali. PA

Tourists pose for pictures in front of police-armoured vehicles parked near the venue of the G20 Bali Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali. AFP

Indonesia is gearing up to host leaders of the world's biggest economies. AP Photo

A plane comes in to land at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. AFP

Bali will host the 17th Group of 20 Heads of State and Government Summit from November 15 to 16. EPA

Flags of the participating countries line a motorway. AFP

Hindus join the Melaspas and Mecaru rituals ahead of the G20 meeting. Reuters

The logo of the G20 summit, in Jakarta. AFP

Indonesian military personnel take part in a security drill for the G20 meeting in Denpasar, Bali's main city. EPA

Indonesian military personnel prepare for the G20 meeting. Reuters

An Indonesian police officer stands in front of a portrait of President Joko Widodo. EPA

Part of the security drill in Denpasar. Reuters

Indonesian police officers. EPA

Female police officers stand to attention during a security parade. AP Photo

Soldiers during a security parade. AP Photo

Military honour guards at a security parade. AP Photo

Indonesian military personnel. AFP

Indonesian military personnel on the resort island of Bali. AFP

World leaders will gather at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Tuesday, November 15 and Wednesday, November 16.

The intergovernmental forum comprises 19 countries as well as the European Union.

The Bali summit will focus on three main areas — global health, digital economic transformation and energy transition.

The underlying theme of the summit is Recover Together, Recover Stronger.

But what is the G20 and why does it matter?

What is the G20?

The G20 is an all-purpose platform for diplomacy.

The group comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK the US and the EU.

Spain is a permanent guest, as are the UN, the African Union, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) and the World Bank.

Members account for more than four-fifths of the world’s GDP, three-quarters of its trade and three-fifths of its population.

How does the summit work?

Formed in 1999 to broaden the scope of the G7 with an inaugural meeting in Berlin, the G20’s primary goal is to prevent global financial crises.

Every year, the host nation — known as the Presidency — invites guest countries and global and local organisations to participate, broadening the forum’s representation.

This year, Indonesia has invited the UAE, Singapore, Cambodia and Ukraine. The full list is yet to be released.

How often does the G20 meet?

The Presidency rotates, with the host country working together with its predecessor and successor, known as the Troika, to ensure continuity.

Italy, Indonesia, and India make this year’s Troika.

The G20 initially met twice a year, but has been meeting once a year since 2011.

Having no permanent secretariat, the group’s agenda and co-ordination is done by the leaders’ personal representatives, known as sherpas, together with finance ministers and central bank governors.

Meetings among trade ministers, finance ministers and central bank governors set the agenda and culminate into the main conference.

How does it work?

At the end of the conference, a statement of the commitments and the visions is drafted from the chosen recommendations and deliverables arrived at the meetings.

Nothing is binding, though, and there is no enforcement beyond peer pressure.

Most of what is announced at the summit has been decided in pre-summit talks between the officials who do the diplomatic work for the leaders who attend the main summit.

The G20 has often been called a gabfest, where leaders talk aplenty, but achieve very little.