G 20 of Twenty Finance Ministers and Centr : Australia listens to development challenges of world’s most vulnerable at annual outreach meeting

Australia joined its third annual meeting with members of the Commonwealth and La Francophonie in Washington to further deepen dialogue and engagement on the G20's development agenda. 

The meeting stems from a commitment made at the meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in Perth in 2011, where Australia promoted the establishment of an annual officials-level meeting with the Commonwealth to help further Commonwealth discussion on G20 issues. The meeting has since expanded to include the International Organisation for La Francophone Countries. 

Participants agreed that this year's meeting was particularly valuable for all involved, as Australia represented not only the co-chair of the Development Working Group, but also the G20 presidency. Australia gave a presentation on the G20's development agenda priorities for 2014 and welcomed perspectives from the developing countries and international organisations present. 

Australia considers the Commonwealth and La Francophonie very important outreach partners on the 2014 G20 agenda and values the opportunity to hear insights drawn from their cumulative representation of around 130 countries, member states and observers.

Image: Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj (left) speaks with Ms Clare Walsh (right), Chairperson of the Australia G20 Development Working Group at the Commonwealth, La Francophonie G20 Dialogue at the International Monetary Fund, Washington DC on 7 April 2014. In the middle is Matthew Williams, First Secretary at the Embassy of Australia in Washington DC.