Press Statement by the Global Governance Group (3G) on the outcomes of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane, Australia, 15 to 16 November 2014

The Global Governance Group (3G) ^[[1]] takes note of the outcomes of the G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Brisbane, Australia, from 15 to 16 November 2014. The 3G recognises that continued decisive action is required to help stimulate growth, undertake the necessary structural reforms, and create better jobs and promote labour force participation.

We welcome the steps taken by the G20 towards greater inclusiveness and transparency, and commend the outreach efforts undertaken by Australia during its 2014 G20 Presidency. We look forward to the continued commitment of the G20 under Turkey’s Presidency to go beyond consultations with non-G20 members and groupings, including the 3G and relevant regional organisations, and find ways to incorporate their inputs into G20 outcomes. This would contribute to reinforcing the complementarity between the G20, multilateral organisations and other key stakeholders, while reaffirming the role of international organisations with universal membership in global standard setting.

The 3G appreciates the recognition in the G20 Leaders’ Communiqué that raising global growth to deliver better living standards and quality jobs for all people is the G20’s highest priority. We note that global recovery has been slow and risks, including in financial markets and from geopolitical tensions, remain.

Concerning the outcomes of the Brisbane Summit, we strongly support and look forward to the realisation of the goal set by the G20 to lift the G20’s GDP by at least an additional two percent by 2018, which would add over US$2 trillion to the global economy and contribute significantly to job creation. We are encouraged by the measures detailed in the Brisbane Action Plan which outline the individual and collective actions and growth strategies the G20 is undertaking in pursuit of strong, sustainable and balanced growth.

The 3G further welcomes the G20’s efforts in tackling global investment and infrastructure shortfalls, including the Global Infrastructure Initiative to lift quality public and private infrastructure investment. We are hopeful that the establishment of a Global Infrastructure Hub will contribute to greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing among governments, the private sector, development banks and other international organisations in respect of improving the functioning and financing of infrastructure markets.

We welcome the commitment by the G20 to address unemployment – particularly youth unemployment, raise labour force participation, create quality jobs, and improve workplace safety and health. The 3G further welcomes the establishment of the G20 Food Security and Nutrition Framework, as well as the G20’s commitment to poverty eradication and development, and to ensure that its actions contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth in low-income and developing countries. The 3G reiterates that the post-2015 development agenda should focus on poverty eradication and sustainable development, with a clear set of goals in order to facilitate practical implementation and consistent monitoring. In this regard, the 3G welcomes the G20’s support for efforts in the United Nations to agree on an ambitious post-2015 development agenda.

To restore global growth, an open, rules-based multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is essential. The 3G welcomes the G20’s recognition of the importance of a robust and effective WTO able to respond to current and future challenges. In particular, the 3G welcomes the commitment by the G20 to implement all elements of the Bali Package and to swiftly define a WTO work programme on outstanding issues in the Doha Development Agenda. The 3G is also encouraged by the G20’s commitment towards open trade and investment, reducing barriers to trade and resisting protectionism in all forms.

We welcome the efforts by the G20 on increased collaboration on energy, including the G20 Principles on Energy Collaboration and the Action Plan for Voluntary Collaboration on Energy Efficiency, as well as the G20’s undertaking to support strong and effective action to address climate change.

Representing over 75% of global carbon emissions, the G20 should make a decisive contribution to the success of the 21st UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties in Paris in 2015, by making early and concrete commitments to this end. We encourage the Turkish G20 Presidency to place this issue high up on the agenda in 2015.

The 3G appreciates Australia’s Presidency of the G20 in 2014 and looks forward to continuing our constructive engagement with the Turkish G20 Presidency in 2015. The 3G reiterates its position that the United Nations is the only global body with universal participation and unquestioned legitimacy, and emphasises that actions by the G20 should complement and strengthen the United Nations system. We support efforts to ensure that non-G20 representatives are included in the G20 process in application of the principle of “variable geometry”, and look forward to Australia updating the United Nations membership on the outcomes of the Brisbane Summit.

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5 December 2014

^[[1]] The 3G comprises the following Member States of the United Nations: Bahamas, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Costa Rica, the Republic of Finland, Guatemala, Jamaica, Kuwait, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Principality of Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, the Republic of the Philippines, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of San Marino, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.