Saudi Arabia is hosting the G20 summit this weekend, a first for an Arab country, but in a virtual format that risks limiting its scope, despite a busy menu: dealing with the devastating economic consequences of the pandemic, including for poor countries.
The meeting will also cast the shadow of the chaotic political transition in the United States.
On Wednesday, the White House still made no comment on the participation of Donald Trump, who is still disputing his defeat in the presidential election.
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No opening ceremony with great fanfare in Riyadh, therefore, but screens that will light up one after the other in Paris, Berlin, Moscow ...
King Salman brings together the heads of state and government of the world's 20 richest nations for two days to talk about "the
implications of the pandemic
" and "
measures to revive the world economy
," he told the AFP a source close to the organizers.
Because if the vaccine race is accelerating, raising hopes of finally eradicating the virus that has infected 55 million people and killed more than 1.3 million, the world economy is not seeing the end of the tunnel: According to the International Monetary Fund, world GDP is expected to decline by 4.4% in 2020. The G20 countries have spent some 11 trillion dollars to save the world economy, and must tackle a time bomb: the debt poor countries, faced with a collapse (- 700 billion dollars, according to the OECD) of their external financing.
On Friday, G20 finance ministers agreed on a "
common framework
", involving for the first time China and private creditors, to ease the debt burden.
Progress compared to the moratorium on interest payments put in place in April, but still insufficient for NGOs.
Katherine Tu, Action Aid, estimates that "
the G20 is ostrich and does not respond to the urgency of the situation
", while 88 to 115 million more people are expected to fall into extreme poverty, according to the World Bank.
One solution would be to resort to the IMF's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a financing instrument used during the 2008 crisis. Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jaddan said he was confident in an interview. to the
Financial Times on
Tuesday, in its "
next
"
adoption
, despite initial reservations from the United States.
Human rights
If US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be in Saudi Arabia during the summit, uncertainty remains about Donald Trump's participation.
One thing is certain: it will not be on the traditional group photo since there will be none, virtual format requires.
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What to take away a lot of his interest at this G20 summit.
These great meetings are in fact less valid for the very consensual official program or for the often very smooth final press release, than for the asides between powerful people, the links forged "
at the table, at the coffee break, in the corridors or fitness rooms of the hotels,
”said John Kirton, director of the G20 Research Center.
But "
digital diplomacy
" also has its advantages, if only for reasons of logistics and security, in a region under very high tension, according to this professor at the University of Toronto.
Nevertheless: this summit is "
clearly a missed opportunity
" for Saudi Arabia, which "
wanted to take advantage of it to improve its image a little
", tarnished by the assassination two years ago of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, estimates Camille Lons, from the IISS (International institute for strategic studies).
If the pandemic has deprived Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman of a global platform, NGOs will not hesitate to challenge the international community on the issue of human rights.
Relatives of jailed activists have urged world leaders to boycott the summit or at least pressure Saudi leaders to release political prisoners.
"
Don't allow them to whitewash their human rights record,
" Safa al-Ahmad, director of London-based human rights NGO ALQST, told AFP.