The G20 summit
The G20 summit was held at Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Centre on September 2425, 2009. In reply to the global credit crisis, a G20 summit in one year was projected soon following the London summit in April 2009. Announced shortly after the G-20 London summit, US President Barack Obama volunteered to host this summit, at the outset planning to hold it in New York City and coordinating it with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. However, because of coordination issues, on May 28, 2009, the Obama Administration announced a change of venue to Pittsburgh with the intention to highlight the city's economic healing following the breakdown of its manufacturing industry in the second half of the 20th century.
Amid the issues discussed was a suggestion to drastically reform the International Monetary Fund. French President Sarkozy also recommended that there be an appraisal of measures already taken.
The major venue of the summit was the David L. Lawrence Convention Centre, which was at one point the biggest LEED certified building in the world. A working dinner for world leaders was held at the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, chosen to highlight its environment friendly features including an earth-sheltered welcome centre and a Tropical Forest Conservatory described as the world's most energy efficient. Further venues to be used around the city include The Andy Warhol Museum, the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and Rosemont, the working farm of Teresa Heinz Kerry.
The summit proper began on the morning of September 25 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Centre, downtown.
One of the first key announcements to come out of the meeting was that the group would turn out to be the new lasting commission for international economic cooperation.
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