Sherpa
In G7 and G20 summit diplomacy, a sherpa is a senior personal representative of a participating leader who prepares the summit agenda and helps negotiate the intended outcome before leaders meet.
Sherpas coordinate positions across ministries and negotiate with their counterparts; the role is especially associated with leader-level summit processes and is not a generic title for every diplomatic adviser.
Summit declarations depend on sustained preparatory bargaining, clearance across agencies and the resolution of disagreements before the leaders’ final decisions.
In G20 preparations, sherpas oversee much of the Sherpa Track and contribute to draft leaders’ declarations. Different summit forums organize their preparatory roles differently.
A sherpa is a representative of the leader, not necessarily always a career diplomat.
- Multilateral Diplomacy
- Diplomatic Delegation
- Strategic Coordination
- G20 Troika
Closely related entries kept separate because each carries a distinct institutional meaning.
- G20 Troika
In G20 practice, the troika comprises the previous, current and incoming presidencies, which cooperate to support continuity across the annual presidency cycle.
- Multilateral Diplomacy
Multilateral diplomacy is diplomatic engagement involving three or more states, usually through international organizations, conferences, coalitions, treaty processes, or other structured forums. It enables participants to negotiate shared rules, coordinate action, manage collective problems, and build legitimacy around outcomes that no single bilateral relationship can produce alone.
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