The G20: the symbol of a multipolar and interdependent world
The chronic crises of the international economy and finance are at the origin of an institutionalization of global governance beyond the simple UN framework. The relevance of the framework offered by the Security Council has not withstood the changing balance of power on the international scene. The situation has changed with the end of the Cold War and the emergence of new powers in a multipolar and interdependent world. The creation of the G20 expresses the desire to adapt global governance to the changing international balance.
The G20 allows for a more open, balanced and representative inter-state and multilateral exchange. The G20 is made up of the world’s top 20 economies, which account for about 90% of global GDP, while the G8 economies account for less than 60%. The meeting of Western and emerging powers reinforces the legitimacy of this new instrument of global governance, even if their own interests remain mostly contradictory.
Despite the structural change, the composition of the G20 remains unbalanced. The Western world is over-represented, while some regions of the world are almost absent. The weight of Western European states (Germany, France, United Kingdom and Italy), the European Union and North America (United States and Canada) testifies to this Western overrepresentation.v The affirmation of emerging powers is reflected in the participation of three Central/South American countries (Mexico, Brazil and Argentina) and six Asia-Pacific states (China, India, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Australia). Africa (South Africa), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Turkey) and continental Asia (Russia) are under-represented. The primary criterion for representation is economic and does not follow a logic of democratic justice.