Prime Minister Tony Abbott believes Australia must take the lead in decision-making during its presidency of the Group of 20, and not squander the opportunity with a cluttered agenda.
Treasurer Joe Hockey will host the first G20 meeting of the year, when finance ministers and central bankers from the world's major developed and developing countries gather in Sydney this weekend.
"It is not often that our country hosts such a gathering, it's not often that it has the chance that is close to the heart of global decision making and we will be this year," Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde expressed her concerns about poverty and climate change in an Australian television interview on Thursday.
"The best way to address global poverty is to boost economic growth," Mr Abbott said.
He said that means freer trade, less regulation, more infrastructure, better banking regulation and effective tax systems.
He said there are all sorts of other important issues that Australia and other countries have an interest in, but that's going to be the focus of the G20 year.
"We do not want to clutter up the G20 agenda with every worthy and important cause, because if we do, we will squander the opportunity to make a difference in the vital area of economic growth," he said.
