Formed in 1999, the G20 is a group featuring 19 of the world's largest economic powers and the European Union. It was formed in the wake of financial crises in the late 90s, with a view to providing some governance for the global economy. Since 2008 it has held an annual leaders' summit.

The 19 countries who are members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. Collectively the members of the G20 account for about 90% of the world's GDP.

As well as the 19 countries plus the EU, also attending the meetings are representatives of several permanent guests, including the African Union, International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

Critics argue that it is too exclusive, and the format locks a significant number of large countries out of high-level discussions on the global economy.



