The G20 Development Working Group falls under the Sherpa track of the G20 and is the key G20 forum for the discussion of a wide range of issues that directly affect developing countries, especially Low-Income Countries (LICs).
Shared development was elevated as a key concern of the G20 during the Seoul Summit with the adoption of the Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth.
As an international cooperation forum, the G20’s development discussions are guided by the following six principles: economic growth, development partnership, addressing systemic weaknesses requiring joint cooperation, private sector participation, complementarity of development efforts and tangible outcomes. The Seoul Development Consensus document included a comprehensive Multi-Year Action Plan on Development covering the following themes: Infrastructure; Infrastructure Investment/Finance; Human Resource Development; Trade; Private Investment and Job Creation; Food Security, Resilient Growth; Financial Inclusion; Domestic Resource Mobilisation and Knowledge Sharing.
The Seoul Consensus also emphasised the need for a measurable accountability framework. An Annual Development Working Group Report has been produced since 2011, which reflects on the key G20 development commitments put forward during each G20 presidency. Since 2013, starting with the Russian Presidency, a Comprehensive Accountability Report is produced every three years.
Under the G20 Italian presidency, a key outcome of the G20 foreign affairs and development ministers’ meeting in June 2021 was the Matera Declaration on Food Security, Nutrition and Food Systems. The declaration outlines an agenda for addressing rising global food insecurity, and calls upon the international community to build inclusive and resilient food chains and ensure adequate nutrition for all in order to achieve “Zero Hunger” (a Sustainable Development Goal) by 2030.
The Group is also finalising the 2021 Rome Update, a key deliverable of the DWG which serves as a roadmap to highlight G20 contributions to the 2030 Agenda during the Italian Presidency and take stock of the progress made on previous G20 Development Commitments.
Find the Annual Progress Reports and Comprehensive Accountability Reports here:
