The P20 Summit is the official annual meeting of the speakers (presiding officers) of parliaments from G20 countries, created to add a parliamentary voice to the G20’s work.

What is the P20 Summit?

In simple terms, the P20 Summit is the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit.

Instead of presidents or prime ministers, it brings together the speakers of national parliaments (like Lok Sabha Speaker, Senate/House Speakers, etc.) from G20 countries and invited guests.

Its main goals are to:

  • Bring a parliamentary dimension to G20 decisions, so global commitments are debated and supported by elected representatives.
  • Build political support so G20 declarations actually turn into national laws, budgets, and policies.
  • Raise awareness in parliaments about big global issues like climate, development, energy, and inequality.

What happens at the P20?

At each P20, speakers and delegations meet over a few days and:

  • Debate themes aligned with that year’s G20 agenda (for example: sustainable development, just energy transition, debt relief for low- and middle-income countries, multilateralism).
  • Issue a joint declaration with political commitments and recommendations to G20 leaders.
  • Hold many bilateral meetings (speaker-to-speaker) to deepen cooperation between parliaments.

A recent declaration, for example, emphasized:

  • Upholding multilateralism and resisting protectionism.
  • Fighting climate change and supporting a just energy transition.
  • Addressing the debt burdens of low- and middle-income countries.

Recent and upcoming P20 summits

  • The 8th P20 was hosted by Indonesia in Jakarta in 2022, opened by President Joko Widodo, focusing on cooperation to tackle global crises.
  • The 9th P20 was held in India and was described as a “unique confluence of various parliamentary practices from around the world,” highlighting democracy, technology in elections, and women’s participation.
  • The 11th P20 took place in Kleinmond, South Africa, in 2025, with strong emphasis on climate, debt, and just energy transition.
  • South African Speaker Thoko Didiza noted that the next P20 (2026) is expected to be held in the United States, once it takes over the G20 presidency.

Why is it called “P20”?

  • “G20” = Group of 20 major economies (leaders’ summit).
  • “P20” = “Parliamentary 20” or “G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit” – essentially the parliamentary track of the G20 system.

So, when you see people ask “what is P20 Summit,” they’re asking about this parliamentary speakers’ summit that shadows the main G20, trying to ensure that what leaders agree on has backing and follow-through in national parliaments.

TL;DR: The P20 Summit is the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit – a yearly meeting of G20 countries’ parliamentary speakers that adds a democratic, parliamentary voice to G20 decisions and pushes to turn global commitments into real laws and policies.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.