Description
The G20 has been missing in action in the covid-19 crisis: slow to react, offering no concrete responses to the health and economic crises, and unable to prevent the rise of protectionism. This is especially glaring given its success during the previous global crisis – the 2008-9 Global Financial Crisis – when its networked structure enabled it to devise a timely and effective response to the crisis. This paper interrogates the reasons for this failure, which stem from both the nature of the G20, and the broader international context. Specifically, I argue that despite an expansion of its remit, the G20 remains focused on finance, which sits uneasily with addressing issues like health, especially as incorporation of more diverse voices from civil society has been limited. The G20’s failures also stem, paradoxically, from its networked nature, which means that it lacks the necessary leadership to take action and offer solutions. Finally, the G20’s paralysis also reflects the larger crisis of global governance, characterised by a populist backlash against international cooperation driven by secular stagnation of the global economy. The G20 itself has done little to resolve this stagnation or address its underlying causes, thus undermining faith in the efficacy of global governance.
