Language Professionals will provide 53 interpreters at the G20 Heads of State summit in Brisbane this month.

This meeting is the largest high-level meeting ever organised in Australia. Max Doerfler and Bertold Schmitt have been busy organising for interpreters to fly to Brisbane from round the world to join the teams of interpreters who will be working at the ninth meeting of the G20 heads of government. In addition to the 20 heads of state, interpreters will be working with visitors from guest countries Mauritania, Myanmar, New Zealand, Senegal, Singapore and Spain.

Simultaneous interpretation will be required for the following 14 languages: Arabic, Mandarin, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Turkish and Burmese.

About the G20

The Group of Twenty (G20) brings together the leaders of the world’s major advanced and emerging economies to address global economic challenges. It comprises 19 countries and the European Union. The leaders of G20 economies meet annually and G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meet several times during each year.

In 2014 the Leaders Summit will be held in Brisbane on 15-16 November at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. This will be the most significant meeting of world leaders that Australia has hosted. In 2014 Australia welcomes Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, plus Spain (as an agreed permanent guest), Mauritania (as the 2014 Chair of the African Union), Myanmar (as the 2014 Chair of the Association of South-East Asian Nations), Senegal (representing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development), Singapore and New Zealand.

The current G20 host works with the immediate past and future G20 hosts (the G20 troika) to help ensure continuity in the G20 agenda. The current members of the G20 troika are Australia, Russia (2013 host) and Turkey (2015 host).

Preparation for the annual summit is undertaken by senior officials, known as Sherpas, who represent G20 leaders. In preparation for the G20 Leaders Summit, Australia is hosting a range of gatherings including meetings of Finance Ministers, Trade Ministers, Employment Ministers, Sherpas, Finance Deputies and subject-specific working groups.

Interpreters for the G20 in Australia 2014

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) sought the services of an organisation with experience in the provision of simultaneous interpretation services for major events, who was to work closely with the G20 Taskforce to assist managing the delivery of the services for the G20 Summit. The contract was awarded to Language Professionals.

The services include coordination and integration of all activities required to conduct simultaneous interpretation services including the supply and coordination of the interpreters at event time and arrangements for their accommodation and travel.