2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit

The 2009 G20 Pittsburgh Summit was the third meeting of the G20 heads of state and heads of government, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, to discuss financial markets and the world economy.

History

The G20 is the premier forum for discussing, planning and monitoring international economic

cooperation.

The fall 2009 G20 summit was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, on September 24–25, 2009. Announced shortly after the April 2009 G20 London summit, U.S. President Barack Obama volunteered to host this summit, initially planning to hold it in New York City and coordinating it with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. Due to coordination issues, however, the Obama Administration announced a change of venue on May 28, 2009 to Pittsburgh in order to highlight the city's economic recovery following the collapse of the city's manufacturing sector during the latter half of the 20th century. In response to the Global credit crisis, a G20 summit in one year was proposed shortly after the London summit in April 2009.

Among the issues discussed was a proposal to radically reform the International Monetary Fund (IMF). French President Nicolas Sarkozy also suggested that there would be an evaluation of measures already taken.

Summit facilities

The primary venue of the summit was the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which was at one point the largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building in the world. A working dinner for world leaders was held at the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, chosen to highlight its environmentally friendly features including an earth-sheltered welcome center and a Tropical Forest Conservatory described as the world's most energy efficient.