For the developed countries, the G20 offers an opportunity to show their courage, willingness and capacity to take on the challenge of fixing the world economy, with an emphasis on wider global issues and taking into account aspects affecting poorer countries.

The European Union (EU) nations have already agreed to develop principles for regulating the banking sector and to make US$100 billion in loans available to the IMF to support the developing world.

Cynicism toward G20

To rally support for his rescue initiatives, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been traveling throughout Europe and to the American continent, meeting with bankers and finance ministers, in efforts to make the April meeting a success.

His efforts have been greeted with little enthusiasm at home and many have expressed the view that the G20 is just a waste of time.

"I don't really care about the meeting because it is meaningless. There is more rhetoric than action," a driving instructor, Julia Freeman, told Xinhua.

"Unfortunately, we have a weak government, which is only interested in getting whatever they can from the country instead of serving the country," said a pensioner who identified herself only as Alice. "I do not believe the G20 will bring any change to this country," she added.

Recent disputes between Brown and Bank of England Governor Mervyn King over whether Britain should have a new fiscal stimulus plan have also worried the British public. Some people have even raised the question as to who is running Britain: the Prime Minister or the Governor?

In addition, Britain's involvement in Iraqi War has been highlighted as one of the reasons behind the country's increased financial burdens.

For environmentalists, the one-day summit, which will cost in excess of 19 million pounds (US$28 million), is a waste of resources. They also assert that the summit is environmentally unfriendly and will not achieve anything tangible.

"In this hi-tech world, they could talk by teleconference through the Internet, so do they really need to gather to fix a solution? They should consider their carbon footprints," says environmentalist Amy Scott.

Rising unemployment and mounting financial difficulties, along with unethical gains by bankers, have sparked a wave of public anger, some of which has turned into violence.

An unprecedented week of demonstrations began during the weekend before the G20. On Saturday, protesters marched through London demanding action to tackle unemployment. Many also called for efforts to curb climate change and fringe issues.

But the authorities are preparing for potentially violent protests when anti-capitalist demonstrators descend on London's financial center as the G20 begins.

The cost of policing for these protests is estimated to exceed 7.2 million pounds (around US$11 million).