Buenos Aires (2018 summit)

Buenos Aires (2018 summit)
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Name	Buenos Aires (2018 summit)
Date	30 November–1 December 2018
Location	Buenos Aires
Host	Mauricio Macri
Participants	G20
Preceded by	G20 Hamburg summit
Followed by	G20 Osaka summit

Buenos Aires (2018 summit) was the thirteenth meeting of the G20, held on 30 November–1 December 2018 in Buenos Aires. The summit convened heads of state and government from Argentina, United States, China, Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea, Italy, and European Union representatives, amid disputes involving Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, and Theresa May.

Background and preparations

Argentina secured the 2018 summit after its presidency of the G20 cycle, with Mauricio Macri coordinating preparations with the Presidency of Argentina and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship (Argentina). The selection of Buenos Aires invoked coordination with the City of Buenos Aires, Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police, and international partners including INTERPOL, United Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and World Trade Organization liaisons. Security planning involved cooperation between Ministry of Security (Argentina), Argentine Federal Police, Prefectura Naval Argentina, Argentine Army, and foreign details from the United States Secret Service, British Metropolitan Police Service, and French Gendarmerie for visiting dignitaries. Logistics required coordination with the Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini, Palacio San Martín, Centro de Convenciones de Buenos Aires, and diplomatic missions such as the United States Embassy in Buenos Aires, Chinese Embassy, Buenos Aires, and Russian Embassy in Argentina.

Participating leaders and delegations

Attendees included Donald Trump (United States), Xi Jinping (China), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Emmanuel Macron (France), Angela Merkel (Germany), Theresa May (United Kingdom), Shinzō Abe (Japan), Justin Trudeau (Canada), Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil) — represented by Michel Temer as guest at the time — Narendra Modi (India), Joko Widodo (Indonesia), Scott Morrison (Australia) represented by Malcolm Turnbull legacy delegates, Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Mohammad bin Salman (Saudi Arabia) represented through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' delegation, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey), Moon Jae-in (South Korea), and Giuseppe Conte (Italy). The European Commission and European Council were represented by Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, respectively. Delegations brought foreign ministers, finance ministers such as Steven Mnuchin, Christophe Castaner replacements, and central bank governors including Jerome Powell and Mario Draghi for parallel G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting sessions.

Agenda and major issues

The summit agenda emphasized trade disputes involving United States–China trade war, United States–European Union relations, and tariffs imposed by Donald Trump's administration, while addressing global investment flows discussed by International Monetary Fund officials and World Bank representatives. Climate and energy issues featured debates over the Paris Agreement after policy shifts by the United States Department of State and statements by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel. Financial stability and anti-corruption measures were debated with input from Financial Stability Board, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and Transparency International. Migration and development concerns involved contributions from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Development Programme, African Union, and representatives from Latin American and Caribbean states.

Key statements and agreements

Leaders issued a final communiqué negotiated among delegations, reflecting compromises on trade, climate, and taxation brokered by Mauricio Macri and Joaquín Vial-style economic advisers alongside negotiators from United States Trade Representative offices and Ministry of Economy (Argentina). The summit produced language supporting reform of the World Trade Organization and commitments to combat Base erosion and profit shifting discussed with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development leadership, while divergent positions on the Paris Agreement were noted between the United States and a coalition led by France and Germany. Bilateral meetings included a high-profile dinner between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping that temporarily de-escalated the United States–China trade war, and talks between Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron on regional security issues involving Syria and Ukraine.

Protests, security, and logistics

Large-scale demonstrations organized by General Confederation of Labour (Argentina), CGT (Argentina), Workers' Party (Argentina), Movimiento Evita, and international solidarity groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch occurred across Buenos Aires near Plaza de Mayo and along routes to the Centro de Convenciones. Security measures included road closures by the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police, checkpoints by the Argentine Federal Police, and airspace restrictions enforced by the National Civil Aviation Administration (Argentina), drawing criticism from civil society organizations including Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales and local media outlets such as Clarín and La Nación. Arrests and detentions during protests prompted statements from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and diplomatic notes from participating embassies including the United States Embassy in Buenos Aires and European Union Delegation to Argentina.

Reception and aftermath

Coverage by international media outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Die Zeit, and Xinhua News Agency assessed the summit as mixed, highlighting the temporary thaw between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping but noting unresolved tensions over trade and climate policy involving Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel. Analysts at International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported limited immediate effect on global markets, while think tanks like Brookings Institution, Chatham House, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace produced post-summit analyses. The Buenos Aires summit set precedents influencing negotiations at the subsequent G20 Osaka summit and bilateral follow-ups at venues such as APEC and United Nations General Assembly meetings.

Category:G20 summits