What is the G20, how long is the 2017 summit in Hamburg , which countries are members, and what’s on the agenda?
THE G20, or group of 20, is an international meeting between heads of states, finance ministers and central bank governors from the world's leading economies.
With this year's summit now in full swing, here's the lowdown on the influential group and what's being discussed...
What is the G20?
Founded in 1999 to give developing countries a more powerful voice in the global economy, the summit brings together industrialised and emerging economies.
The group makes up 85 per cent of the world's GDP and two-thirds of its population.
When it was first started, only finance ministers and central bank governors met at G20 summits.
But a meeting was held between heads of state after the Lehman Brothers crash in 2008, which led to a global recession.
There has been a yearly meeting between G20 country leaders since. Between 2009 and 2010, when the global economy was in crisis, leaders met twice a year.
Since the first meeting in Berlin, 1999, there have been 18 G20 summits between finance ministers and central bank governors.
There have been 10 between heads of state or the government of G20 economies.
Much of G20's work takes place on the sidelines and in informal meetings, not at the annual summit.
Which countries are G20 members?
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Russia
- South Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- The European Union, represented by the European Council
When and where is the 2017 G20 summit being held?
This year's main G20 forum is being held from 7-8 July in Hamburg, Germany.
As well as permanent members of the committee, the leaders of Guinea, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Senegal, Singapore, Spain and Vietnam will also be in attendance.
This will be the 12th G20 summit and the first time it has been hosted by Germany.
It is being hosted at the Hamburg Messe and Congress, a large convention centre which regularly hosts trade fairs.
There were surreal scenes ahead of the event, as hundreds of activists dressed up as zombies in a "Welcome to hell" demonstration.
The protests on the eve of the summit's opening became more violent, with riot police firing water cannons at demonstrators after they pelted cops with rocks.
What's on the agenda at the G20 meeting?
One of the most anticipated spectacles ahead of the summit was Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Before their showdown, the US president offered rare public criticism of Russia's "destabilising" behaviour in a speech.
There was some tension when the two global juggernauts sat down for talks, engaging in a handshake reminiscent of Netflix drama House of Cards.
Despite the terseness, the pair struck a landmark ceasefire deal – although they had differing views on tackling North Korea.
Trump is set for talks with Theresa May, who is poised to challenge him over climate change after he pulled out of the Paris Agreement in June.
Ahead of the summit, May was also set to issue a rallying cry to leaders to develop technology to prevent future "lone wolf" terror attacks following the Manchester and London Bridge atrocities.
She will also urge world leaders to share more intelligence on the movement of known jihadi fighters returning from battle in Syria and Iraq.
Discussions will also focus on missile testing by North Korea in the face of escalating nuclear weapon development from Kim Jong-un's state in recent months.
Germany and the US could find themselves on collision course after Angela Merkel signalled that climate change, free trade and migration would be key themes of the summit.
