G20 Summit to Address Global Financial Crisis, but Without Meaningful Representation
Leaders of the first world countries are expected to come together for a virtual G20 summit that will convene from November 21-22, 2020, in Riyadh. The G20 brings together leaders and representatives from a few exclusive countries to address the greatest challenges and propose impactful solutions for the whole world.
For the last decade, this forum has played an instrumental role in addressing the global financial crisis, putting forward reforms fostering growth and development, and shaping collective approaches on issues requiring international cooperation. If the whole agenda of the summit is to financially help the countries in need, how come leaders or representatives from underdeveloped countries not invited to the meet?
The summit marks the first time that Saudi Arabia will hold the Presidency of the G20. The theme of the event is ‘Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All’. By hosting the event Saudi Arabia has shown a keen interest in bringing forward the perspectives of the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as the views of developing countries – not to forget, all this will be happening in the absence of representatives from other MENA countries.
While hosting of the summit is a prestigious honour for the kingdom, it surely would have been a great opportunity to show off the country had the pandemic not obstructed it. Ten months ago, Saudi Arabia believed this to be a great opportunity to showcase the evolution of the kingdom to the leaders of the globe. The event would have also helped in revamping the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi hit squad. The pandemic has deprived MbS from garnering the international spotlight as a world leader.
Nevertheless, the event – despite being virtual – is still an opportunity for the kingdom to thwart attention from its human rights violations. An online event amid the pandemic would surely help Saudi Arabia avoid scrutiny over human rights violations.
Meanwhile, there are calls for major powers like the United Kingdom and Australia to boycott the G20 summit in Riyadh over the jailing of female political activists who campaigned for the right to drive.
Baroness Helena Kennedy, a QC and a vocal critic of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, described the hosting of the world’s most significant economic forums by Mohammed bin Salman as “scandalous”. Urging the world leaders to use the summit as leverage for change and demand the release of a group of at least 13 female activists who were jailed by MbS in 2018, Kennedy said, “We should not be giving this kind of platform to Saudi Arabia at this time, if they want to show that they really are in a process of change then this is a moment when they should be showing it.”
More than a month ago, Riyadh also hosted the Urban 20 (U20), a G20 urban summit, to be attended by world mayors including Berlin’s Michael Müller, London’s Sadiq Khan, New York’s Bill de Blasio, Paris’s Anne Hidalgo, Rome’s Virginia Raggi as well as the mayors of Los Angeles and Madrid. A coalition of human rights groups urged the seven mayors to boycott the U20 summit, which was being held on the second anniversary of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pulled out of the U20 event, citing ethical concerns, while also urging other mayors to follow suit. In the past also, de Blasio has been a major critic of the kingdom, criticising Saudi over its “brutal and immoral” coalition in Yemen.
Considering that not much has changed in the kingdom in terms of human rights violations, could this also mean that more diplomats may boycott the G20 summit as well?
