Alexander Yakovenko

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Kingdom

The financial problems that most of the world's big economies first confronted in 2007-2008 are still affecting the global economy. No country can face today's challenges on its own. The time when crises were local and isolated in nature is in the past.

Christina Chang

Lead economics analyst at CAFOD

After nearly three decades of development activists' and experts' efforts to bring about FTTs, it would be heinous not to use the revenues to contribute to a better future for millions of poor men, women and children.

Chris Yiu

Head of digital government at Policy Exchange

The UK has tremendous potential for growth powered by high-impact digital entrepreneurship. We need to do everything we can to help our start-ups to scale up.

Richard Holt

Richard has taken a year off from working at the Daily Telegraph to look after his two-year-old daughter

Sir Ian Blair, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner, wrote a piece in The Times this weekend headlined "Ian Tomlinson is our Rodney King moment". A warning from such a figure of authority must be taken seriously.

Joe Powell

Joe Powell is Deputy Director of the Open Government Partnership Support Unit

Next year Putin and Cameron take the reins of the G20 and G8 respectively. They must show that bringing the most powerful people in the world together can still deliver results for the most powerless.

Karuna Rana

One Young World ambassador and Speak Your Mind contributor

Hundreds gathered on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro to demand an end to fossil fuel subsidies.

Cathal Sheerin

Journalist and writer

The first six months of 2012 saw 8 journalists and writers murdered in Mexico; that shameful statistic puts this summer's G20 host country ahead of co...

Katherine Baldwin

Independent journalist, writer, blogger

Yes, women's rights have come far in past decades but the statistics show we still live in a man's world. Nowhere is that more apparent than in countries like India, where females are killed at birth and burned alive in dowry-related disputes, or in Saudi Arabia, where women are banned from driving and virtually every aspect of their lives is controlled by men.

Baroness Mary Goudie

Global advocate for the rights of women and children

I urge banks to work to ensure women have access and support to be able to obtain finance. I call on the G20 leaders to create the environment where women receive the support they deserve and require in order to continue to build on their contribution to the global economy.

Raheem Kassam

Executive Editor of TheCommentator.com, Director of the Green Centre for Economic Analysis and Sustainable Environment

Argentina's continued position around the G20 table is bringing the whole institution into disrepute.

Jeremy Browne

Minister for Human Rights

Away from the established centres of power, the world is changing fast. The first meeting of the G20 Foreign Ministers taking place today demonstrate again the need for Britain to continue to build new alliances. For the first time ever the G20 will be chaired by, and held in, Mexico: an indicative sign of the shift which enhances the status of fast-rising economies.

Dr Duncan Green

Head of Research at Oxfam GB

The world has a new global steering committee, the G20 group of developed and 'emerging' economies, which has committed itself publicly to supporting economic growth that reaches the poorest people, and doesn't destroy the environment in the process. At least, that's the talk, but according to a new survey by Oxfam, the walk isn't happening. That matters because the G20 countries are home to half the world's poor people, and account for a much greater chunk of its ecological footprint. Climate change is just the best-known consequence of such failings. Rising inequality also undermines political stability - ask the Occupy movement.

Rushanara Ali

Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow and Shadow International Development

Busan should not just be another photo opportunity where leaders substitute rhetoric for action. This is an opportunity for the British government to really show the leadership they should on international development.

Iain Anderson

Director, Cicero

The recent G20 in Cannes did take one big decision which has not received a lot of airtime in the midst of the Eurozone morass - the final ditching of any attempt to make the Doha trade round work.

Darren Ennis

Director at MHP Communications

Both Obama and Cameron will also be concerned about Christine Lagarde's appearance alongside "Merkozy" in Cannes. Who told the IMF chief she could join the Frankfurt Group ? The emerging economies who are biting at Lagarde's heels for greater influence certainly didn't tell her.

Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer

Freelance journalist

Dear Sarko and Barack, I know you're both having a bad day, what with people talking about how you badmouthed a fellow world leader when you thought your microphones were off and all, but I wanted to tell you that last week, on a train, I spoke to my boyfriend about someone I know. And I wasn't very nice.