World finance leaders have endorsed a checklist of policy reforms aimed at defusing debt troubles in Europe and the United States, and promised to review progress in six months as they try to revive a flagging economic recovery.

However, the 10-page global policy agenda largely summarised previously planned steps, such as deploying the European Central Bank's bond-buying programme and resolving the US "fiscal cliff" of spending cuts and tax rises due to go into effect unless Congress acts.