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Dialogue Process

The consultation process forms the heart of the W20 dialogue and formulates joint recommendations to be fed into G20 negotiations. In this notion, W20 Germany’s consultation process comprises an intensive and multi-staged dialogue at both national and international level from January to July 2017. It includes an online discussion and drafting process as well as offline workshop and meetings taking place in Berlin, Frankfurt, New York and Buenos Aires. On 25 April, the consultation process reached its peak with the adoption of the W20 Communiqué and Implementation Plan   and its presentation to Chancellor Angela Merkel.

On 17 February 2017, W20 Germany organised a national dialogue forum which was hosted and funded by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). At the forum, around 60 representatives of various women’s social business and political associations came together for a committed and enthusiastic debate on the goals of W20 Germany. Together the participants agreed on a joint national agenda to be included in the international W20 discussions.

The international W20 dialogue process was initiated in February 2017 with an upfront consultation for drafting the W20 Communiqué 2017. This first stage was marked by an ample online discussion on the platform MangoApps and video conferencing in February, which was accompanied by a series of interactive surveys within the network. In this discussion process, working groups on the W20 Focus Issues were created and chairs appointed for each group respectively.The groups focussed on the topics of "Labour Market Inclusion", "Financial Inclusion" and "Digital Inclusion". Within each of the working groups, ideas were shared, useful documents uploaded and recommendations proposed regarding the W20 Focus Issue at hand. 

In March 2017, the results of the digital discussion were translated into several drafts of the Women 20 Communiqué, thus introducing the second stage of the W20 Dialogue Process. A series of video conferences ensued, during which a number of proposals were agreed upon. Along this process, it was suggested to create an additional implementation plan to complement the W20 communiqué with specific recommendations, best practices from the W20 network and a documentation of key literature supporting the proposed requests. Finally, W20 Delegates and Advisors started to work on the phrasing of the agreed recommendations.

The virtual dialogue process was flanked by a series of international dialogue events that were organized prior to the W20 Summit in April.

The UNCSW 61 Side Event in New York City on 13th March 2017 introduced W20 Germany on an interational arena as a young but influential G20 outreach dialogue. Germany's influential role as holder of the G20 presidency 2017 in tackling the current obstacles for women's economic empowerment was highlighted and strategies were discussed in advancing women's economic empowerment in the G20 and beyond.

The W20 Dialogue was further strengthened through the close cooperation with Argentina as chair for the upcoming W20/G20 Presidency 2018. On 20th March 2017, the German-Argentine dialogue process was introduced through an International Forum in Buenos Aires. At the forum, the preliminary findings of the W20 & EMSD Study were presented and discussed.

In the run-up towards th W20 Summit, the WIP (now WPL) G20 Roundtable "Digitalization: Policies for a Digital Future" was co-hosted by W20 from 5th - 6th April 2017 in Düsseldorf. At this Roundtable, a group of selected parlamentarians and high-level women political leaders from G20 countries and guest countries to the German G20 Presidency discussed the major drivers transforming both digital economy and digital society as well as strategies for women political leaders to prepare for these new actors.

Furthermore, with the support of KPMG Germany, an engaged group of women board members of internationally operating DAX businesses convened in several roundtable discussions on areas of action and core themes. According to the final position paper “Women’s Economic Empowerment along the Value Chain”, the keen and sustained interest of women board members testified to the economic interests in empowering women and to the significance of the corresponding development potential. With their experience and influence, the undersigned committed themselves to “raising labour market participation of women, to promoting women in leadership positions and to acting in an exemplary manner in carrying out their managerial responsibilities".

At the W20 Summit from 24th - 26th of April 2017 in Berlin, the delegates' and W20 advisors' efforts cumulated in the voting of the final draft of the W20 Communiqué and Implementation Plan after a final round of discussion. On the last day of the W20 Summit,  the W20 Communiqué was handed over to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In the run-up towards the G20 Summit in Hamburg on 24th June 2017, the delegates and W20 advisors were involved in lobbying activities to make the W20 Communiqué heard in the G20 Germany 2017 negotiations.


You can find more detailed information regarding all W20 chairs, advisors and delegates disaggregated by country here:

W20 Chairs

W20 Working Group Chairs

Delegates Argentina

Delegates Australia

Delegates Brazil

Delegates Canada

Delegates China

Delegates EU

Delegates France

Delegates Germany

Delegates India

Delegates Indonesia

Delegates Italy

Delegates Japan

Delegates Mexico

Delegates Russia

Delegates Saudi Arabia

Delegates South Africa

Delegates South Korea

Delegates Turkey

Delegates United Kingdom

Delegates United States

International Organizations (W20 advisors)

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