The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, addresses conference
Waterloo, ON – April 28, 2010 – In the run-up to this year’s G8 and G20 Summits hosted by Canada, The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is hosting a conference on May 3-5, 2010 for the purpose of evaluating options for the G20 on fundamental financial, economic and governance issues.
International Governance Innovation: Issues for 2010 Summits will bring together more than 60 leading international academics, think tank experts, government officials, former policy makers, and career diplomats from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, India, Mexico, as well as Portugal, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The conference focuses on four broad themes: (1) Role of the new Financial Stability Board (FSB) in reducing risk and fostering stability in the international financial system, (2) Future working of the framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth which was launched at the September 2009 Pittsburgh summit, (3) Future G20 agenda and, by extension the role of G8, plus questions of process, outreach and legitimacy, (4) How a network of think-tanks could support the G20 and the best approach to achieve this.
The conference program starts May 3 with a dinner keynote address by The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Canada’s Minister of Finance, at Langdon Hall in Cambridge, Ontario. Mr. Flaherty will be available for a media question-and-answer session between 5:00 – 6:00 pm in the Orchard Room. Also, his speech is open to the media.
On May 4, there will be three panel discussions on the following topics: role of the FSB; future of the framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth; and the future of summits. The Right Honourable Paul Martin, former prime minster of Canada, will close Tuesday’s proceedings with a dinner keynote address.
The final day of the conference features a morning panel discussion on the role and value of a network of think tanks in support of the G20.
The concept of a leader’s level meeting of the group of 20 nations to address major global challenges first emerged from discussions by CIGI and several of its partners in work that began in 2003 and has since continued. Over the past six years, CIGI has produced a wealth of rigorous analytical research on a range of international governance issues, including the urgent need for the establishment of the G20 as the world’s premier forum for addressing global problems.
The full range of CIGI’s research on the structure and viability of creating the G20 at the leaders’ level is available at: http://www.cigionline.org/project/leaders-20-l20-project andhttp://www.cigionline.org/project/breaking-global-deadlocks. Also, see CIGI Policy Brief #7: Global Governance for a Global Age: The Role of Leaders in Breaking Global Deadlocks at:http://www.cigionline.org/publications/2008/11/global-governance-global-age-role-leaders-breaking-global-deadlocks
The outcomes from the conference will build upon CIGI’s work which has been at the forefront of research and dialogue on the institution and role of the G20.
The conference is not open to the public. On May 4 and 5, the conference is under Chatham House Rule. Media are welcome to attend and may report on events without attribution.
EVENT:
International Governance Innovation: Issues for 2010 Summits
DATE:
Monday, May 3 – Wednesday, May 5, 2010
TIME:
May 3, 6:00 – 9:00 pm
May 4, 9:30 am – 9:00 pm
May 5, 9:30 am – 2:00 pm
LOCATION:
Langdon Hall (May 3)
1 Langdon Drive, Waterloo, Ontario
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (May 4-5)
Atrium
57 Erb Street West, Waterloo, Ontario
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mary-Lou Schagena
Communications Specialist
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)
Telephone: 519-885-2444, ext. 238
Email: [email protected]
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that addresses international governance challenges. Led by a group of experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate, builds capacity, and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements. Conducting an active agenda of research, events and publications, CIGI's interdisciplinary work includes collaboration with policy, business and academic communities around the world. CIGI was founded in 2002 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), and collaborates with and gratefully acknowledges support from a number of strategic partners, in particular the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. For more information, please visit: www.cigionline.org
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