The G20 (Group of Twenty), which represents 90% of world GDP and two thirds of the global population, was created as a result of the Asian financial crisis of 1997, in order to gather more advanced and emerging economies to discuss stabilization strategies of global financial markets.
Established in 1999, the G-20 meets economically advanced countries (Germany, Canada, USA, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom and the European Union) and systemically important emerging countries (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey and Russia) as well as the IMF and World Bank.

Since its inception, the G-20 held annual meetings with Finance Ministers and central bank presidents, to discuss measures to promote global financial stability and achieve sustainable economic growth and development. The Secretary of International Affairs is the alternate representative of the Minister of Finance in the G-20 meetings.

In 2008, Brazil held the chairmanship of the G-20. On occasion, it fell to the Department of International Affairs (SAIN) the organization of all your events in Brazil and abroad. Besides being responsible for aspects of logistics, SAIN, with the unity of the G-20 Secretariat, was equally focused on agenda setting, preparation of documents to be discussed and preparing summaries of meetings.

The commitment and involvement of a large part of the Secretariat's human resources was essential to the success of the project, with Brazil on this occasion, consolidated its presence in this important world economic forum that promotes open and constructive discussion between industrial and developing countries in pursuit of solutions to issues relating to international economics and finance.

With the intensification of the global crisis at the end of 2008 and the widespread understanding that it would be impossible to fight it with actions restricted to the G-7, G-20 was invoked to strengthen international cooperation, having been established as venue for Heads of State and Government as the central forum for international coordination of economic policy.

For the first time, given the importance and urgency of the matters discussed by the G-20 was held the G-20 Summit in Washington, United States of America in November 2008. As a result of the meeting the Declaration of the Leaders of the G-20 was published insights on the global economic crisis and an indication of 47 (forty seven) actions that should be implemented by regulatory agencies for financial and economic policy makers in these countries, with special emphasis on solidity regulation and transparency, strengthening , as well as strengthening of international cooperation and promoting integrity in financial markets, the reform of international financial institutions, particularly the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Throughout 2009, there were two Summits and three Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G-20 Meeting, with the objective to develop, discuss and submit proposals to the leaders related to economy and global financial stability. The Group focused on developing and implementing anti-crisis measures, including institutional strengthening and resources of international financial institutions (IFIs) and the strengthening of international financial regulation.

In this context, the G-20 focused on the development and implementation of measures to combat the crisis and the strengthening of international financial regulation, including institutional strengthening and resources of the IFIs.

The accurate and decisive actions of the G-20 helped along with the balanced participation of both developed and developing countries, the world to effectively deal with the current economic and financial crisis.

The G-20 reached significant concrete results. Implemented unprecedented and better coordinated macroeconomic policies, including the fiscal expansion of $ 5 trillion and unconventional monetary policy instruments; financial regulation has significantly improved, particularly through the establishment of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and reinforced substantially the IFIs, including the expansion of resources and improvement of precautionary credit lines from IFIs.

Throughout 2010, there were two Heads of State Summits, three Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G-20 meetings, four G-20 Deputies meetings (Deputy Finance Ministers and Directors of Central Banks), with the objective to develop, discuss and submit proposals to the leaders related to economy and global financial stability. The Group focused on the development and implementation of measures to seek a more effective international cooperation and concerted in order to: a) strengthen and protect the recovery b) ensure strong, balanced and sustainable growth in the long term; c) to stimulate job creation; d) to support poverty reduction and development, and e) to increase global prosperity. In June, was held in Toronto, Canada, the first Leaders Summit of the G-20, 2010 in its new role as the main forum for international economic cooperation, which were decided that the next steps would be taken to ensure the full return to growth of quality jobs, to reform and strengthen financial systems and to generate a strong, sustainable and balanced global growth.

As a continuation the work of the Group was held in Seoul, South Korea, on the 11th and 12th of November, the second Summit of the G-20 when a Global Action Plan was launched, which represented a further enhancement to advance the goals to establish a solid foundation for strong , sustainable and balanced growth and to protect and enhance recovery. Through the Global Action Plan announced in Seoul, it'll be possible to continue to monitor the cooperation with the global economic situation and identify potential risks and assess what policy actions should be taken to promote stronger, sustainable and balanced growth. This consultative process of mutual evaluation is led by members and shall be held in 2011 under the French presidency of the G-20.