G20germany

German G20 Presidency

Dialogue with civil society

During the G20 Presidency, Chancellor Angela Merkel will be conducting a wide-ranging dialogue with civil society. She will be meeting with representatives of the scientific and research community, the private sector and trade unions, women and young people, and non-governmental organisations from the G20 states.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and young people at the Federal Chancellery G7 Youth Summit participants at the Federal Chancellery with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Photo: Bundesregierung/Denzel

Free, self-assured and well organised civil society plays an important role in democratic countries. During Germany’s Presidency, it will make sure their ideas, opinions and proposals are heard on matters relevant to the G20.

Autonomous civil society

The Chancellor attaches great importance to dialogue with different civil society groups. The German G20 Presidency does not believe that civil society engagement should be state-managed. The direction taken by the dialogue process is thus entirely in the hands of the groups in question. It is, however, the express wish of Chancellor Angela Merkel to be personally involved in this dialogue with representatives of civil society around the globe. In the run-up there is to be discussion between representatives of the respective groups and the G20 sherpas, within the framework of the sherpa meetings.
The dialogue forums will pick up on pertinent G20 issues, and will work with international partners to draw up recommendations for the German Presidency. Civil society actors are called on to lay out their own positions. The impetus and recommendations emerging from these forums will enrich the debates of the G20.

Dialogue in the run-up to the summit

Dialogue forums will be held with non-governmental organisations (Civil20), trade unions (Labour20), the scientific and research community (Science20), women (Women20), youth (Youth20), business (Business20) and think tanks (Think20).

The dialogue forums with Chancellor Merkel – an overview

• S20 Dialogue Forum with the Science and Research Community on 22 March 2017 in Halle

• W20 Dialogue Forum with Women in Business, Science and Society on 25 and 26 April 2017 in Berlin

• B20 Dialogue Forum with Business Associations on 3 May 2017 in Berlin

• L20 Dialogue Forum with Trade Union Representatives on 17 May 2017 in Berlin

• T20 Dialogue Forum with Think Tanks on 30 May 2017 in Berlin

• Y20 Youth Summit on 7 June 2017 in Berlin

• C20 Dialogue Forum with Non-Governmental Organisations on 19 June in Hamburg

Meetings with G20 civil society

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Chancellor Angela Merkel and participants at the Y20 summit gather for a group photo at the Federal Chancellery. For five days young people from more than twenty countries engaged in discussions, met with experts, elaborated solutions, and wrestled with standpoints and wording. Photo: Bundesregierung/Loos