International summit or jelly and ice cream?

There are media reports today that Gordon Brown has prepared some goodie bags for the world leaders attending the G20 summit. Apparently this is an attempt to “showcase British creativity”.

Hang on a minute? Why on earth are world leaders getting goodie bags?

Surely it can’t be some kind of inducement to ensure a high turn out? Do the presidents and prime ministers of the world make decisions on whether to attend based on the free gifts they get?

“Mr President, we need to discuss your forward engagements.”

“Ah yes, right OK. I will do NATO. Good chocolates. Yes to the UN conference, I got an excellent bottle of champagne last time. I’ll send the foreign minister to the OPEC thing, they don’t give you any booze. But I am not going to London again. Last time I went all I got was a ***** tea towel!”

Some how I think not.

I think we need to question whether the people of this planet are being served by the way international summits conduct themselves. Particularly, as they appear to be organised around the same principles as a six year old’s birthday party.

Do they all get to take a piece of cake home wrapped in a paper serviette?

This content was originally posted on my old Process Guy blog.