The expansion of the Group of Eight (G-8) to the Group of 20 (G-20) was received by developing countries with high expectations and optimism. The expansion was considered an important step toward improving global economic governance in an increasingly globalized world. The inclusion of emerging economies in global economic leadership was also seen as opening a platform for articulating positions and concerns of Africans and other developing regions. African nations were especially hopeful that South Korea’s leadership of the G-20 would provide them with an opportunity to voice specific issues of concern that had hitherto not been given sufficient focus by the developed countries under the G-7 and G-8 regimes. Of immediate concern to developing countries were actions to deal with the global economic and financial crisis and sustaining long-term economic growth.