New multilateralism and governmental mechanisms for including civil society during Mexico's presidency of the G20 in 2012

This article analyses Mexico's presidency of the G20 in 2012 as seen through the lens of new multilateralism, with a particular focus on civil society's growing demand for participation in the shaping of the global agenda. On one hand, we examine the mechanisms for inclusion and participation provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for that specific purpose. On the other, we reflect on the real results of these mechanisms in practice during the Los Cabos Summit. Drawing on our empirical observations, we argue that G20 summits are still very much 'protocol as usual', with echoes of traditional multilateralism, thus leaving very little room for civil society to have a noticeable effect on the summit's conclusions. On a more positive note, the very existence of such mechanisms suggests that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has at least given symbolic recognition to the importance of having spaces and dialogues available to civil society as part of the presidency's agenda.