2010 G-20

Toronto
summit
G-20 Summit on Financial Markets and the
World Economy

Information

Date June 26–27, 2010

Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

G-20 (+ Ethiopia, Malawi, Netherlands,

Nigeria, Spain, Vietnam), ASEAN, AU, FSB,
Participants
ILO, IMF, NEPAD, OECD, UN, WBG,
WTO

Follows Pittsburgh Summit, 2009

Precedes Seoul Summit, 2010

Website Official website

The 2010 G-20 Toronto summit is the fourth meeting of the G-20 heads of government, in
discussion of the global financial system and the world economy, which took place at the
Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during June 26–27, 2010. The
summit was initially proposed to be held in the town of Huntsville, Ontario, where the
immediately preceding 36th G8 summit was hosted by Canadian prime minister Stephen
Harper. The town was later deemed insufficient to provide hospitality for the large number of
G-20 delegates and journalists and the G-20 summit was thus later finalized to take place in
Toronto.

In his welcome speech at the G-20 sherpas' meeting, Harper announced that the theme of the
Toronto summit would be "recovery and new beginnings," referring to an economic stimulus
from the impact of the ongoing world recession. The summit's priorities included evaluating
the progress of financial reform, developing sustainable stimulus measures,[2] debating global
bank tax, and promoting open markets. Alongside the twenty-one representatives of the G-20
major economies, leaders of six invited nations, and eight additional intergovernmental
organizations also took part in the summit.

An Integrated Security Unit consisting of police officers from different regional

departments began working on security in the Downtown area,[5] where the venue was located,
three months ahead of the summit. The event was part of the largest and most expensive
security operation in Canadian history and the total cost for preparations, including security,
infrastructure, and hospitality, was determined to be approximately C$858 million.

Contents
• 1 Agenda
• 2 Preparations
o 2.1 Security
o 2.2 Infrastructure
• 3 Attendance
• 4 Protests
• 5 Outcome
• 6 Controversies
o 6.1 Financial costs
o 6.2 Local impact
• 7 See also
• 8 References

• 9 External links

Agenda
Each leader of the G-20 brought their own agenda to the summit. The prime issue of the
summit was the recovery from the ongoing global recession and the more recent European
debt crisis.However, the leaders were divided over strategies on tackling the problem. The
European Union wanted to focus on austerity to cut their deficits, while the United States
sought to maintain economic stimulus spending to encourage growth. India was said to pitch
for "durable, balanced and sustainable" global growth.

A divide arose between China, India, and the United States, who favoured increased stimulus
funding to alleviate the recession, and the countries of the European Union, who favoured a
reduction in spending and balanced budgets. The idea of imposing taxes on financial
institutions, such as a global bank tax and the Robin Hood tax, which is supported by countries
of the European Union but opposed by the United States and Canada, was another issue to be
discussed at the summit.[12] International development was also on the agenda, as well as
requests to increase international aid to Africa and other developing nations. Also on the
agenda was discussion of Israel's Gaza strip blockade and the nuclear programs of North
Korea, each of which was met with criticism. The situation in Gaza was called "unsustainable",
while the nuclear programs were considered very concerning for global and regional security.
Corruption and security in Afghanistan was also an issue raised by the United States.

On June 24, Toronto mayor David Miller held a news conference at the International Media
Centre, set up at the Exhibition Place, welcoming media from around the world. Leaders of the
G8 arrived in Toronto after wrapping up their meeting in Huntsville, Ontario. During the
afternoon of June 26, the rest of the G-20 leaders arrived to take part in the G-20 summit.
That evening, Stephen Harper formally welcomed the G-20 leaders to the summit and a
working dinner was arranged[15] at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The following day, June 27,
the formal summit meeting began during the morning.

Preparations
Security

Security fencing erected along the middle of Wellington Street

Security officials began preparing for summit security in Toronto around mid-February
2010.General policing and patrolling was provided by the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario
Provincial Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Canadian Forces, while the Peel
Regional Police aided in policing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga during
the arrivals of delegates. The five departments formed an Integrated Security Unit (ISU),
similar to the ISU created during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Additional officers
were deployed from York Regional Police, Halton Regional Police, Barrie Police Service,
Waterloo Regional Police, Niagara Regional Police, Hamilton Police Service, Ottawa Police
Service, Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, and Calgary Police Service supplied 150
volunteer police officers a week before the summit.
According to an early estimate by the Globe and Mail, 10,000 uniformed police officers, 1,000
security guards, and several Canadian military forces were to be deployed during the summit.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) conducted Amalgam Virgo
exercises on May 6 and 7 across the Greater Toronto Area using CF-18 Hornet jets, CH-124
Sea Kings, and CH-146 Griffon helicopters at low altitudes. The total cost for security at both
the G8 and the G-20 summits was determined to be $930 million, paid entirely by the federal
Crown-in-Council, excluding the costs of any possible damage to local business.

The Integrated Security Unit created a security perimeter, beginning with the outer
boundary, specifically bordered by King Street to the north, Lake Shore Boulevard to the
south, Yonge Street to the east, and Spadina Avenue to the west, where vehicles were to be
restricted during the summit dates. Residents who lived within the security zone were issued
registration cards prior to the summit and other pedestrians who wished to enter the security
zone were only able to do so at one of 38 checkpoints, where they were required to present
two pieces of photo identification and provide reasoning for entry. The area surrounding the
Metro Toronto Convention Centre itself was fenced and off limits to civilians and protesters.
The 3-metre (10 ft) high fence, contracted to SNC-Lavalin by Public Works and Government
Services Canada and installed by two Gormley, Ontario-based companies, was built at a cost of
$5.5-million and began erection on June 7.Toronto Police Service installed 77 additional
closed-circuit television security cameras in the area and purchased four Long Range Acoustic
Devices which were to be in use exclusively during the summit.The ISU decided on also using
water cannons for riot control.

Infrastructure

Stores near King Station apply wooden boards to prevent vandalism from protests

A former film studio located on Eastern Avenue was designated as a temporary detention
centre for individuals arrested during the summit. Toronto Police Service announced that
Trinity Bellwoods Park would be the designated protest area, but following opposition from
local residents, police relocated the designated protest zone to the northern part of Queen's
Park. Canada Post declared that it would remove post boxes in the security zone. Toronto
Parking Authority removed some parking meters as well. Small trees along sidewalks around
the convention centre were removed to prevent them from being used as weapons by
protesters. Other removed municipal property include 745 newspaper boxes, 200 public trash
cans, 70 mailboxes, 29 bus shelters, and 5 public information boards.

Major banks headquartered in Downtown Toronto, which happen to be the largest banks in
Canada's banking industry, made plans to have employees work in alternate places outside of
their downtown headquarters, such as at home or in other branches. The Liquor Control Board
of Ontario announced the closure of seven of liquor stores in Downtown during the summit as a
precaution to looting. The PATH, CN Tower, University of Toronto, Art Gallery of Ontario, and
the Ontario Legislative Building were also closed to public during the summit dates.

A three-game Major League Baseball series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the
Philadelphia Phillies, which was set to take place from June 25 to 27 at the Rogers Centre,
situated within the security zone, was relocated to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, after
much discussion and amidst discontent from fans. Mirvish Productions cancelled production of
their two musicals Rock of Ages and Mamma Mia! during the week of the summit. Similarly, the
Factory Theatre cancelled shows during the summit week.

Highway 427 and the Gardiner Expressway, the route from Toronto Pearson International
Airport in Mississauga to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Downtown, periodically
closed down for motorcades, along with jammed wireless reception along the two highways.
Exits to Yonge Street and Bay Street on the Gardiner Expressway were closed during the
summit dates. Toronto Transit Commission announced that subway stations near the
convention centre would remain open and operational, despite some detoured bus routes and
the closure of Queens Quay Station. Via Rail announced that it would not operate at Union
Station during the summit dates, instead providing shuttle bus service from the Yorkdale and
Scarborough Centre bus terminals to the Brampton and Oshawa stations respectively. Nav
Canada announced that it would place restrictions on the airspace in Toronto, making it limited
to commercial flights only while all others would be restricted within a 30-nautical-mile (56
km) radius. Porter Airlines was given permission to continue flights in and out of Billy Bishop
Toronto City Airport. The Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School
Board cancelled school bus services to six Downtown schools on June 25, affecting 45,000
students, 10,000 of whom are disabled.

A media centre for international media personnel, journalists, and press reporters was set up
at the Direct Energy Centre at the Exhibition Place during the summit. A 20,000-square-foot
(1,858 m2) pavilion, called Experience Canada or Canadian Corridor, was set up in the media
centre to promote Canadian tourism internationally. The pavilion included three life-sized
government-funded displays: Cityscape, which showcased successful Canadian businesses and
innovation; The Bridge, which included information kiosks for media personnel as well as large
high-definition screens that televised the 2010 FIFA World Cup games; and Northern Ontario
Oasis, an artificial lakefront based on Muskoka region's cottage country. The Northern
Ontario Oasis included donated canoes, a shoreline with deck chairs for journalists to cool
off, and a mobile phone recharging station. The background was a large screen that portrayed
various images of the Muskoka region. The cost of the international media centre, the
Experience Canada pavilion, and artificial lake, which were $23 million, $1.9 million, and
$57,000 respectively, was the target of controversies.

Attendance
Participants of the summit gather for a conventional "family photo"

Participants of the Toronto summit were announced by Stephen Harper on May 8, 2010.
Harper extended invitations to the leaders of Ethiopia and Malawi to further represent the
continent of Africa along with South Africa, a G-20 member. Netherlands, Spain, Vietnam, and
Nigeria were also invited. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and
the International Labour Organization, as well as Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Vietnam made
their first G-20 summit attendances in Toronto.[64] Recently designated heads of government,
namely British prime minister David Cameron and Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan, made
the G8 and G-20 summits their first international conferences.[65] Australia's deputy prime
minister, Wayne Swan, attended the summit as Julia Gillard had only just been appointed
prime minister on June 24.[65]

Toronto Pearson International Airport was the port of entry for delegates attending both the
G8 and G-20 summits. French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Chinese president Hu Jintao
were the first of the G-20 leaders to arrive in Canada. The arrival of Hu coincided with his
state visit to Canada, hosted by Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean in Ottawa.[66]
Presidents Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria arrived on June 24.
[67]
David Cameron arrived on June 25, following a short visit in Halifax to celebrate the
centennial of the Canadian Forces Maritime Command. Remaining leaders with the G8 also
arrived on the same day.[65]

After the G8 summit in Huntsville, Ontario ended, Cameron, whose aircraft was grounded due
to weather conditions, hitched a ride to Toronto in Marine One with American president
Barack Obama.[68] Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva cancelled his trip to stay back
and monitor the situation on the recent flooding in northeastern Brazil; in his place, Guido
Mantega, Brazil's finance minister, headed the nation's delegation.[69]

The following participants of the Toronto summit include the core members of the G-20 major
economies, which comprises 19 countries and the European Union, which is represented by its
two governing bodies, the European Council and the European Commission,[70] as well as other
nations and regional organizations invited to take part in the summit.
Barack Obama (right) and David Cameron (centre) arrive after travelling together on Marine
One from Huntsville, Ontario

Cristina Kirchner and Stephen Harper posing for a photo

Core G-20 members
Host nation and leader are indicated in bold text.
Member Represented by Title
Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner [71]
President
Australia Wayne Swan [72]
Deputy Prime Minister
Brazil Guido Mantega [73]
Finance Minister
Canada Stephen Harper [74]
Prime Minister
China Hu Jintao [75]
President
France Nicolas Sarkozy [76]
President
Germany Angela Merkel [77]
Chancellor
India Manmohan Singh [78]
Prime Minister
Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono [77]
President
Italy Silvio Berlusconi [77]
Prime Minister
Japan Naoto Kan [77]
Prime Minister
Mexico Felipe Calderón [79]
President
Russia Dmitry Medvedev [77]
President
Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz [80]
King
South Africa Jacob Zuma [77]
President
South Korea Lee Myung-bak [81]
President
Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan [82]
Prime Minister
United Kingdom David Cameron [77]
Prime Minister
United States Barack Obama [77]
President
European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso [83]
President
European Council Herman Van Rompuy [77]
President
Invited nations
 Nation Represented by Title
Ethiopia [84]
Meles Zenawi [77]
Prime Minister
Malawi [84]
Bingu wa Mutharika [77]
President
Netherlands [84]
Jan Peter Balkenende [85]
Prime Minister
Nigeria [63]
Goodluck Jonathan [77]
President
Spain [84]
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero [86]
Prime Minister
Vietnam[84] Nguyễn Tấn Dũng[75] Prime Minister
International organizations
Organization Represented by Title
African Union Bingu wa Mutharika [87]
Chairperson
Surin Pitsuwan [88]
Secretary General
ASEAN
Nguyễn Tấn Dũng [88]
Summit President
Financial Stability Board Mario Draghi [89]
Chairman
International Labour
Juan Somavía [90]
Director-General
Organization
International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn [76]
Managing Director
NEPAD Meles Zenawi [87]
Chairman
OECD José Ángel Gurría [91]
Secretary General
United Nations Ban Ki-moon [92]
Secretary General
World Bank Group Robert Zoellick [91]
President
World Trade Organization Pascal Lamy [76]
Director-General

Protests
Main article: 2010 G-20 Toronto summit protests

Demonstrators holding signs with slogans against the G-20

The Toronto summit was the target of widespread protesting which occurred in Downtown
Toronto during the week of the summit. Early opposition to the G-20 included an incident in
Ottawa where a bank was firebombed by anarchists, who claimed they would be present during
the G-20 summit in Toronto.[93] The perceived security threat caused the Integrated Security
Unit to increase security measures.[94]

Protests began one week ahead of the summit, organized by groups including Oxfam Canada
and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.[95] Issues such as poverty,[95] gay rights,[96]
capitalism and globalization,[97] indigenous rights,[98] and controversial issues with the Toronto
summit were the object of protests.[99] Despite a few arrests, protests over the week were
mainly determined to be peaceful.[100]

As the first day of the summit approached, protesters grew in numbers. Several streets were
closed down for demonstrations on the debut of the summit. Peaceful protests were followed
by black bloc tactics as individuals dressed in black dispersed from the crowd and began
damaging the windows of particular businesses across Downtown Toronto, mostly fast food
chains, retail stores and banks, as well as local businesses.[101] Police cruisers were set on fire
and vehicles of media corporations were damaged.[102] Nearby hospitals, shopping centres, and
hotels were put in a lockdown mode while public transit services were diverted from Downtown
to other locations.[103]

As security was further tightened and forces increased in presence the following day,
protests against police brutality occurred in front of the Eastern Avenue temporary detention
centre, where nearly 500 arrested individuals were kept from the previous day's riots.[104] A
group of protesters was also "kettled" for several hours through the night after black bloc
protesters were believed to be in the crowd.[105] Over 900 people were confirmed to be
arrested over the week.[106] The ISU performed sweeping arrests within a specific boundary
from the summit venue.[107] However, despite media coverage informing the public that
officers had the power to demand identification and to detain people within five metres of
the site, it was later found that no such law existed.[108] Individuals arrested during the
protests condemned the treatment they received from police.[109]

Outcome

Leaders confer at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on June 27

Prior to the Toronto summit, it was speculated that it would not see the same outcome as
previous summits. This was partially due to most countries' entering recovery mode from the
global economic recession after the past G-20 summits; thus, the likelihood of new issues
being raised was minimal.[110]

During the working dinner for G-20 leaders on the evening of June 26, South African
president Jacob Zuma promoted more partnership between the international community and
Africa for the development in the continent. "As Africa we bring to the G20 Summit the key
message that we must, together as the developing and developed worlds, promote stronger
and more effective and equal international partnerships for growth and development," he
remarked.[111]

At the summit, US president Barack Obama warned that global recovery was still "fragile."[112]
In hopes of boosting American exports, he announced the proposal of a free trade agreement
between the United States and South Korea.[113] A key agreement the leaders of deleveloped
nations made was to cut annual budget deficits in half by 2013.[114] The leaders also agreed on
reducing debt-to-GDP ratio in each economy by 2016.[114] The debate on imposing a tax on
financial institutions was settled as the group decided that financial institutions would be
required to make fair contributions to recover costs from the financial sector reform,[115] but
the way the contributions would be collected would be up to each government.[116] It was also
decided that institutions would be required to keep a higher amount of financial capital in case
of future financial shocks.[117] Climate change and food security were also discussed; the
leaders reiterated their commitment to a "greener growth"[118]

The G-20 Toronto Summit Declaration, which was released shortly after the summit
concluded, stated that "serious challenges remain."[119] According to the document, the
challenges include high unemployment rates in various economies and the concurrent existence
of the impact of the financial crisis. The International Monetary Fund, in its post-summit
document, indicated that a speedy cut in deficits may substantially slow growth. In a
publication titled Top Ten Commandments for Fiscal Adjustment in Advanced Economies, the
organization insisted that balanced public spending could stabilize bond markets, reduce
interest rates from less government spending, and encourage private investment. It also
recommended that emerging economies such as China, which has largely benefited from trade
surpluses, rely less on developed nations and increase their own spending in order to promote
domestic demand.[120]

During the midst of Toronto summit, a few overseas reporters commented on Canada and the
summits. A reporter of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) made positive remarks
about Canada's economy, saying "The Canadians, it seems, have answers for even the toughest
puzzles and they are keen to share their strategies with the rest of the world. Why in this
economy, we all want to be Canadian." A writer in The New York Times made positive
comments about the summits' preparations and natural beauty of the Muskoka region.Times
of India and The Hindu commented on impacts on city life in Toronto due to the G-20 summit
and the "unprecedented" security measures taken in Canada. A Reutersreporter, on the other
hand, condemned the international media centre's artificial lake.

Controversies
Financial costs

The financial costs of hosting the G8 and G-20 summits was the topic of several political
debates and the target of criticism by local groups.[122] The reasons for the large price for
both summits were questioned by a few politicians and local groups. Members of Parliament
Olivia Chow and Mark Holland labelled the initially claimed budget of $1.1-billion for hosting
the summits as "obscene" and "insane" and others argued that the money could have been used
for long-pending municipal projects in Canada,[123] such as Toronto's Transit City.[124] The
security cost for the two summits was more expensive than the combined security costs of
the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, which
were $878 million.[125] However, according to final calculations from the House of Commons of
Canada as of October 2010, the exact cost for holding both summits was $857,901,850.31,[126]
making it less expensive than the security costs for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

It was initially claimed that the summits stand as the most expensive ever held, with security
costs for the London and Pittsburgh G-20 summits in 2009 reported as having been only $30
million and $18 million, respectively.[127] However, the Canadian Parliamentary Budget Officer,
Kevin Page, stated in his official report on the costs of the Huntsville and Toronto gatherings
that other countries had not been as open about the full price for the similar meetings held
there and that the $18 million figure for the Pittsburgh summit was merely for overtime pay
for local police and the cost of law enforcement brought in from other regions.[128] Ward
Elcock, former Canadian Security Intelligence Service director and the chief of the
Integrated Security Units for the Winter Olympics and the G8/G-20 summits, claimed that
the security costs were in fact "comparable" with those of previous summits.[123] Finance
minister Jim Flaherty defended the security cost, claiming "it's necessary to spend
substantially to have security. It's Canada's turn, and it's necessary that we either don't take
our turn or pay the appropriate price to have the security that is necessary so that everyone
is safe here in Toronto."[129] During the summit, French president Nicolas Sarkozy claimed that
the costs for hosting the proposed G8 and G-20 summits in France in 2011 would be one-tenth
of Canada's.[130]

The creation of the $23-million G8/G-20 international media centre, which included the $1.9
million Experience Canada pavilion and $57,000 artificial lake, at the Exhibition Place was
widely opposed and criticized by politicians as "a waste of taxpayers' money."[131] Criticism
mostly targeted Stephen Harper and Canada's Conservative government. Some protesting
groups gave names to the artificial lake, such as "Harper's Folly".[132] In a debate in the House
of Commons, Mark Holland said, "Instead of hosting world leaders, maybe the government
should consider party planning for Lady Gaga."[133] According to some critics, the spending
misled the objective of the summits into showing off Canada's attributes instead of promoting
the summits' agendas.[134] New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton condemned the Harper
government, saying, "we've got a government here that has to create an artificial lake when
Canada has more lakes than just about any other country in the world. It is the taxpayers who
are going to end up at the bottom of the fake lake." Transport minister John Baird defended
the artificial lake, saying that the summits gave a "chance to showcase the very best that
[Canada] has to offer." Foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon said it was "normal practice"
for a country to showcase its attributes while hosting world events.[134] Harper also defended
by saying, "This is a classic attempt for us to be able to market the country."[135] Upon its
opening, the artificial lake received mixed reviews from Canadian reporters.[136]

Local impact

On June 17, the United States Department of State issued a travel alert for Toronto, warning
tourists of the expected traffic disruptions and potentially violent protests during the G-20
summit. The alert, which was expected to expire on the last day of the summit, stated that
"Even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can become violent and unpredictable."[137]
The alert was criticized by Mayor David Miller as an "over-reaction."[138]
The summit's economic impact was a major concern of a few local politicians and citizens. The
municipal government of Toronto, as well as some public representatives, previously argued
that the G-20 summit should be held at an isolated venue, such as the Exhibition Place, rather
than the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, which is located in the city's central business
district.[139] As a result, during the aftermath of the protests during the summit, in which
several downtown business were damaged during the June 26 riots, Miller urged the federal
government to compensate for all the damages. It was initially outlined by the government
that only damages to businesses within the security zone would be compensated. However, all
damages occurred outside of the security zone.[140] According to Member of Parliament John
McCallum, "Stephen Harper made a huge mistake in holding this summit in downtown Toronto."
According to the Toronto Star, at least 40 stores in the Downtown Yonge Business
Improvement Area suffered damages and one repair firm performed up to $750,000 in
repairs