G20 Foundation Research G20 Russia Summit 2013 | Page 5
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[Evaluation of the G20 Leaders Summit in St Petersburg on September 5-6]
However, there was no special focus on public debt apart from the vague
commitment to “put debt as a share of GDP on a sustainable path”. 4 This is especially
remarkable as public debt is a key issue regarding financial and economic stability
and is increasingly important during the Eurozone crisis.
Overall, we have to point out that, although Economic Growth was supposed to be
the key part on this year’s agenda, the results and commitments are overall rather
vague and disappointing. The Outreach Groups had their share in the decision
making process, but key recommendations by experts such as a strong focus on
public debt recommended by Think 20 didn’t find their way into the final declaration.
So, in our view, Economic Growth as key topic was not adequately addressed by the
G20 Leaders. Though outreach groups were involved in the decision making
process, involvement needs to be improved and especially the role of Think20 needs
to be strengthened.
Youth Unemployment
Youth unemployment was much debated issue both before and during the G20
summit. All outreach groups, with the exception of Think 20, directly stressed the
urgent need for action in order to prevent the negative economic and social effects of
a ‘lost generation’ 5 . Recommendations have been made by the G20 Employment
Task Force and by the OECD in the Action Plan “Giving Youth a Better Start”.
In Saint Petersburg the G20 leaders agreed upon the promotion of apprenticeships
and vocational training programs 6 . The long and successful tradition of Germany’s
dual education system could serve as an example. Here students can decide after
high school whether they want to pursue further studies or follow a professional
career with lessons in specialized vocational schools. In our opinion this is a step in
the right direction because it aligns education goals with labour market needs and
therefore ensures the employability of young people. However, some degree of
4 See #19 of the Leaders Declaration
5 According to the International Labour Organisation more than 40% of the unemployed, almost 75 million,
are young people under the age of 25.
6
See #29 of Leaders Declaration