Experts indicate that such instances of lower attendance do not reflect negatively on the host country.
In the world of global summits, attendance by heads of state varies from year to year, and the upcoming G20 Summit in India is no exception. “While these gatherings hold immense significance, the demands on leaders’ time and other factors sometimes lead to their absence,” explained a source to Financial Express Online.
It is worth noting that leaders occasionally skip summits for a variety of reasons. “One prominent example is the 2021 G20 Summit in Italy, where six countries attended below the level of Head of State (HOS) or Head of Government (HOG). Interestingly, there was no major geopolitical or health-related rationale for this, but circumstances aligned in a way that led to reduced representation,” sources quoted above said.
Importantly, such instances of lower attendance do not reflect negatively on the host country.
History of G20 summits
Since 2008, there have been 16 physical G20 summits, with one virtual summit taking place in Saudi Arabia in 2020. Two summits occurred in both 2009 and 2010.
According to the source, interestingly, “if we exclude the first three summits in 2008 and 2009, not a single G20 summit from 2010 onwards has seen every country represented at the HOS/HOG level (Head of State & Head of Government).”
Instances of countries being represented below the HOS/HOG level:
Six times, there was one country represented below HOS/HOG: In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2017.
Five times, there were two countries represented below HOS/HOG: In 2010, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019.
One time, there were three countries represented below HOS/HOG: In 2022 (following the Ukraine situation).
One time, there were six countries represented below HOS/HOG: In 2021 (pre-Ukraine, post-Covid).
Participation of specific countries in G20 summits:
Countries that have never been represented below HOS/HOG level include Canada, Germany, India, Italy, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the USA, and the European Union.
Some countries have been below HOS/HOG level on occasion:
Mexico: Represented below HOS/HOG level three times, with the President not attending since 2018.
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Russia: These countries have been represented below HOS/HOG level twice.
China, France, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa: Each of these countries has been below HOS/HOG level once.
One standout case is Saudi Arabia, which has experienced lower-level representation nine times, including one instance where a Minister of State without portfolio attended in 2017.
Therefore, “the ups and downs in G20 summit attendance are influenced by many factors,” stated the source.
https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-understanding-the-variability-in-g20-summit-attendance-why-some-leaders-opt-to-skip-3231159/
