G8

This article is about the former political forum. For its precursor and successor, seeG7.For other uses, seeG8 (disambiguation).

Map of G8 member nations and the European Union

TheGroup of Eight(G8) was aninter-governmental political forumfrom 1997 until 2014.It had formed from incorporatingRussiainto theGroup of Seven,or G7, and returned to its previous name after Russia was expelled in 2014.

The forum originated with a1975 summithosted byFrancethat brought together representatives of six governments:France,Germany,Italy,Japan,theUnited Kingdom,and theUnited States,thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit came to be known as theGroup of Sevenin 1976 with the addition ofCanada.Russiawas added to the political forum from 1997, which the following year became known as the G8. In March 2014 Russia was suspended indefinitely following theannexation of Crimea,whereupon the political forum name reverted to G7.In January 2017, Russia announced its permanent withdrawal from the G8.However, several representatives of G7 countries stated that they would be interested in Russia's return to the group.TheEuropean Union(or predecessor institutions) was represented at the G8 since the 1980s as a "nonenumerated" participant, but originally could not host or chair summits.The40th summitwas the first time the European Union was able to host and chair a summit. Collectively, in 2012 the G8 nations comprised50.1 percent of 2012 global nominal GDPand40.9 percent of global GDP (PPP).The G8 countries were not strictly the largest in the world nor the highest-income per capita, but they do represent the largest high-income countries.

"G7" can refer to the member states in aggregate or to the annualsummit meetingof the G7heads of government.G7 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as theG7 finance ministers(who meet four times a year), G7 foreign ministers, or G7 environment ministers.

Each calendar year, the responsibility of hosting the G8 was rotated through the member states in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia (suspended), Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada. The holder of thepresidencysets the agenda, hosts the summit for that year, and determines which ministerial meetings will take place.

In 2005, the UK government initiated the practice of inviting five leading emerging markets –Brazil,China,India,Mexico,andSouth Africa– to participate in the G8 meetings that came to be known asG8+5.With theG20 major economiesgrowing in stature since the2008 Washington summit,world leaders from the group announced at theirPittsburgh summitin September 2009 that the group would replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations.Nevertheless, the G7 retains its relevance as a "steering group for theWest",with special significance appointed to Japan.

History

Main article:Group of Seven § History

Following1994's G7 summit in Naples,Russian officials held separate meetings with leaders of the G7 after the group's summits. This informal arrangement was dubbed the Political 8 (P8)—or, colloquially, the G7+1. At the invitation of UK Prime MinisterTony Blairand U.S. PresidentBill Clinton,PresidentBoris Yeltsinwas invited first as a guest observer, later as a full participant. It was seen as a way to encourage Yeltsin with his capitalist reforms. Russia formally joined the group in 1998, resulting in the Group of Eight, or G8.

Focus of G8

A major focus of the G8 since 2009 has been the globalsupply of food.At the 2009L'Aquilasummit, the G8's members promised to contribute $22 billion to the issue. By 2015, 93% of funds had been disbursed to projects like sustainable agriculture development and adequate emergency food aid assistance.

At the 2012 summit,President Barack Obamaasked G8 leaders to adopt the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition initiative to "help the rural poor produce more food and sell it in thriving local and regional markets as wellas on the global market".Ghanabecame one of the first six African countries to sign up to the G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition in 2012.There was, however, almost no knowledge of the G8 initiative among somestakeholders,including farmers, academics and agricultural campaign groups. Confusion surrounding the plans was made worse, critics say, by "a dizzying array of regional and national agriculture programmes that are inaccessible to ordinary people."

Russia's participation suspension (2014)

On 24 March 2014, the G7 members cancelled the plannedG8 summitthat was to be held in June of that year in the Russian city of Sochi, and suspended Russia's membership of the group, due toRussia's annexation of Crimea;nevertheless, they stopped short of outright permanent expulsion.Russian foreign ministerSergei Lavrovdownplayed the importance of the decision by the U.S. and its allies, and pointed out that major international decisions were made by theG20countries.

Later on, the Italian Foreign Affairs ministerFederica Mogheriniand other Italian authorities,along with theEastWest Instituteboard memberWolfgang Ischinger,suggested that Russia may restore its membership in the group. In April 2015, the German foreign ministerFrank-Walter Steinmeiersaid that Russia would be welcomed to return to G8 provided theMinsk Protocolwere implemented.In 2016, he added that "none of the major international conflicts can be solved without Russia", and the G7 countries will consider Russia's return to the group in 2017. The same year, Japanese Prime MinisterShinzō Abecalled for Russia's return to G8, stating that Russia's involvement is "crucial to tackling multiple crises in the Middle East".In January 2017, the Italian foreign ministerAngelino Alfanosaid that Italy hopes for "resuming the G8 format with Russia and ending the atmosphere of the Cold War".On 13 January 2017, Russia announced that it would permanently leave the G8 grouping.Nonetheless,Christian Lindner,the leader ofFree Democratic Party of Germanyand member of theBundestag,said that Putin should be "asked to join the table of the G7" so that one could "talk with him and not about him", and "we cannot make all things dependent on the situation in Crimea".In April 2018, the German politicians and members of theBundestagSahra WagenknechtandAlexander Graf Lambsdorffsaid that Russia should be invited back to the group and attend the2018 summit in Canada:"Russia should again be at the table during the [June] summit at the latest" because "peace in Europe and also in the Middle East is only possible with Russia".The US PresidentDonald Trumpalso stated that Russia should be reinstated to the group; his appeal was supported by the Italian Prime MinisterGiuseppe Conte.After several G7 members quickly rejected US President Trump's suggestion to again accept the Russian Federation into the G8, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the Russian Federation wasn't interested in rejoining the political forum. He also said that the G20 is sufficient for the Russian Federation.In the final statement of the 2018 meeting in Canada, the G7 members announced to continue sanctions and also to be ready to take further restrictive measures against the Russian Federation for the failure of Minsk Agreement complete implementation.

A "new G8"

On June 11 2022,Vyacheslav Volodin,the currentChairman of the State Duma,announced onTelegramthat "countries wishing to build an equal dialogue and mutually beneficial relations would actually form, together with Russia, a 'new G8.'"Although Volodin mentioned the group of eight countries not participating in the sanctions against the Russian Federation—China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Iran, and Turkey—there have been no updates regarding the new G8; however, four of the seven nations listed are already a part of, or are expected to join in 2024,BRICS.

Structure and activities

Leaders of the G8 on 18 June 2013, inLough Erne,Northern Ireland

By design, the G8 deliberately lacked an administrative structure like those for international organizations, such as theUnited Nationsor theWorld Bank.The group does not have a permanent secretariat, or offices for its members.

The presidency of the group rotates annually among member countries, with each new term beginning on 1 January of the year. The rotation order is: France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia (suspended), Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada.The country holding the presidency is responsible for planning and hosting a series of ministerial-level meetings, leading up to a mid-year summit attended by the heads of government. The president of the European Commission participates as an equal in all summit events.

The ministerial meetings bring together ministers responsible for various portfolios to discuss issues of mutual or global concern. The range of topics include health, law enforcement, labor, economic and social development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism, and trade. There are also a separate set of meetings known as theG8+5,created during the 2005Gleneagles,Scotland summit, that is attended by finance and energy ministers from all eight member countries in addition to the five "outreach countries" which are also known as theGroup of Five—Brazil,People's Republic of China,India,Mexico,andSouth Africa.

In June 2005, justice ministers and interior ministers from the G8 countries agreed to launch an international database onpedophiles.The G8 officials also agreed to pool data onterrorism,subject to restrictions by privacy and security laws in individual countries.

Global energy

Main articles:International Partnership for Energy Efficiency CooperationandClimate Investment Funds

G8 leaders confer during the2009 summitinL'Aquila(Abruzzo,Italy).

At theHeiligendamm Summitin 2007, the G8 acknowledged a proposal from the EU for a worldwide initiative onefficient energy use.They agreed to explore, along with theInternational Energy Agency,the most effective means to promoteenergy efficiencyinternationally. A year later, on 8 June 2008, the G8 along with China, India, South Korea and theEuropean Communityestablished theInternational Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation,at the Energy Ministerial meeting hosted by Japan holding 2008 G8 Presidency, inAomori.

G8 Finance Ministers, whilst in preparation for the34th Summit of the G8 Heads of State and GovernmentinToyako, Hokkaido,met on the 13 and 14 June 2008, inOsaka, Japan.They agreed to the "G8 Action Plan for Climate Change to Enhance the Engagement of Private and Public Financial Institutions." In closing, Ministers supported the launch of newClimate Investment Funds(CIFs) by theWorld Bank,which will help existing efforts until a new framework under theUNFCCCis implemented after 2012. The UNFCCC is not on track to meeting any of its stated goals.

In July 2005, the G8 Summit endorsed theIPHEin its Plan of Action on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development, and identified it as a medium of cooperation and collaboration to develop clean energy technologies.

Annual summit

Main article:Group of Seven § List of summits

Thefirst G8 summitwas held in 1997 after Russia formally joined the G7 group, and thelast onewas held in 2013. The2014 summitwas scheduled to be held in Russia. However, due to theCrimean crisis,the other seven countries decided to hold a separate meeting without Russia as a G7 summit in Brussels, Belgium.

The G8 leaders at the36th summitinHuntsville, Ontario.Left to right:Cameron,Van Rompuy(European Council),Harper,Medvedev,Kan,Berlusconi,Obama,Barroso(European Commission),Merkel,Sarkozy.

Criticism

20 July 2001,27th G8 summitinGenoa,Italy: Protesters burn a police vehicle.

One type of criticism is that members of G8 do not do enough to help global problems, due to strictpatentpolicy and other issues related toglobalization.InUnraveling Global Apartheid,political analyst Titus Alexander described the G7, as it was in 1996, as the 'cabinet' of global minority rule, with a coordinating role in world affairs.

In 2012The Heritage Foundation,an Americanconservativethink tank, criticized the G8 for advocatingfood securitywithout making room for economic freedom.

Relevance

The G8's relevance has been subject to debate from 2008 onward.It represented the majorindustrialized countriesbut critics argued that the G8 no longer represented the world's most powerful economies, as Chinahas surpassedevery economy but the United States.

Vladimir Putindid not attend the 2012 G8 summit atCamp David,causingForeign Policymagazine to remark that the summit has generally outlived its usefulness as a viable international gathering of foreign leaders.Two years later, Russia was suspended from the G8, then chose to leave permanently in January 2017.

TheG20major economies leaders' summit has had an increased level of international prestige and influence.However,British Prime MinisterDavid Cameronsaid of the G8 in 2012:

Some people ask, does the G8 still matter, when we have a Group of 20? My answer is, yes. The G8 is a group of like-minded countries that share a belief in free enterprise as the best route to growth. As eight countries making up about half the world's gross domestic product, the standards we set, the commitments we make, and the steps we take can help solve vitalglobal issues,fire up economies and drive prosperity all over the world.

Youth 8 Summit

The Y8 Summit or simply Y8, formerly known as the G8 Youth Summitis the youth counterpart to the G8 summit.The summits were organized from 2006 to 2013. The first summit to use the name Y8 took place in May 2012 inPuebla,Mexico, alongside the Youth G8 that took place inWashington, D.C.the same year. From 2016 onwards, similar youth conferences were organized under the name Y7 Summit.

The Y8 Summit brings together young leaders from G8 nations and theEuropean Unionto facilitate discussions ofinternational affairs,promote cross-cultural understanding, and build global friendships. The conference closely follows the formal negotiation procedures of the G8 Summit.The Y8 Summit represents the innovative voice of young adults between the age of 18 and 35. At the end of the summit, the delegates jointly come up with a consensus-basedwritten statement, the Final Communiqué.This document is subsequently presented to G8 leaders in order to inspire positive change.

The Y8 Summit was organized annually by a global network of youth-led organizations called The IDEA (The International Diplomatic Engagement Association).The organizations undertake the selection processes for their respective national delegations, while the hosting country is responsible for organizing the summit. An example of such a youth-led organization is theYoung European Leadershipassociation, which recruits and sends EU Delegates.

The goal of the Y8 Summit is to bring together young people from around the world to allow the voices and opinions of young generations to be heard and to encourage them to take part in global decision-making processes.

	Summit	Year	Host country	Location
1st	International Student Model G8	2006	Russia	Saint Petersburg
2nd	Model G8 Youth Summit	2007	Germany	Berlin
3rd	Model G8 Youth Summit	2008	Japan	Yokohama
4th	G8 Youth Summit	2009	Italy	Milan
5th	G8 Youth Summit	2010	Canada	Muskoka&Toronto
6th	G8 Youth Summit	2011	France	Paris
**	Y8 Summit	2012	Mexico	Puebla
7th	G8 Youth Summit	2012	United States	Washington D.C.
8th	Y8 summit	2013	United Kingdom	London
9th	Y8 summit	2014	Russia	Moscow*

* The Y8 Summit 2014 in Moscow was suspended due to the suspension of Russia from the G8.

See also

• D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation
• Eight-Nation Alliance
• Forum for the Future (Bahrain 2005)
• G3 Free Trade Agreement
• G4 (EU)
• G-20 major economies
• Group of Two
• Group of Seven
• Group of Eleven
• Group of 15
• Group of 24
• Group of 30
• Junior 8
• List of countries by GDP (nominal)
• List of countries by military expenditures
• List of country groupings
• List of G8 leaders
• List of G8 summit resorts
• List of longest serving G8 leaders
• List of multilateral free-trade agreements
• North–South divide
• Western Bloc
• Great power
• World Social Forum

Further reading

• Bayne, Nicholas and Robert D. Putnam. (2000).Hanging in There: The G7 and G8 Summit in Maturity and Renewal.Aldershot, Hampshire:Ashgate Publishing.ISBN978-0-7546-1185-1;OCLC43186692
• Haas, P.M. (1992). "Introduction. Epistemic communities and international policy coordination,"International Organization46, 1:1–35.
• Hajnal, Peter I. (1999).The G8 system and the G20: Evolution, Role and Documentation.Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing.ISBN9780754645504;OCLC277231920
• Kokotsis, Eleonore. (1999).Keeping International Commitments: Compliance, Credibility, and the G7, 1988–1995.New York: Garland Publishing.ISBN9780815333326;OCLC40460131
• Reinalda, Bob and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998).Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations.London:Routledge.ISBN978-0-203-45085-7;OCLC39013643

External links

• G8 Information CentreArchived1 May 2009 at theWayback Machine,G8 Research Group,University of Toronto
• "Special Report: G8",Guardian Unlimited
• "Profile: G8",BBC News
• "We are deeply concerned. Again",New Statesman,4 July 2005, —G8 development concerns since 1977
• G8 Information Centre Finance Ministers Meetings
• "G8: Cooking the books won’t feed anyone",Oxfam International
• "Dear G8 Leaders, don’t lie about your aid",Oxfam Australia
• "Wait, the G-8 still exists?"Archived27 May 2011 at theWayback Machine,Foreign Policy Magazine
• "Is this the last G-8 summit meeting?"Archived30 May 2011 at theWayback Machine,Foreign Policy Magazine
• Chronique ONU | Le Conseil économique et social, Le Groupe des huit et le PARADOXE CONSTITUTIONNEL"The Group of Eight, ECOSOC and the Constitutional Paradox"
• No. of G8 Summit Protestors (1998–2015)Katapult-Magazin