Early June, we co-hosted a panel focusing on trade and investment at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) together with our partner the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Based on the B20 policy papers, we published our recommendations regarding the G20 partnership with Africa, the ‘Compact with Africa’ initiative, prior to the G20 Africa Partnership Conference, in which many of B20 members participated. At the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA) Summit in Berlin, we underscored the importance of young business leaders in shaping the future of global governance. We continued our advocacy efforts, with our B20 Sherpa presenting the B20 policy recommendations to the WTO and Klaus Moosmayer, Chair of the RBC&AC Taskforce, giving a keynote at the 5th Viadrina Compliance Congress. Together with a coalition of G20 Engagement Partners, we issued a high level statement on the decision of the United States to leave the Paris Climate Agreement. Shortly before the G20 Summit in Hamburg, more than 50 CEOs and presidents of business associations called for open markets and the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. B20 was represented with a small team at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, reporting about the negotiations from the Summit press centre. Together with the Engagement Groups C20, W20, and T20 we held a press conference at the Summit. While the 2017 G20 Leaders’ Declaration falls short of our expectations in some areas, we regard it as a partial success, given that the G20 members were able to produce a joint Declaration in a negotiation environment which was more than difficult.
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