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*[[Image:Flag of Europe.svg|22px|Europe]] '''[[European Union]]'''
*[[Image:Flag of IAEA.svg|20px|IAEA]] '''[[International Atomic Energy Agency]]'''
*[[Image:Flag of IAEA.svg|20px|IAEA]] '''[[International Atomic Energy Agency]]'''
*[[Image:IEA logo.gif|22px|]] '''[[International Energy Agency]]'''
*[[Image:IEA logo.gif|22px|]] '''[[International Energy Agency]]'''

Revision as of 16:48, 20 July 2008

Template:Future The 36th G8 summit is to be held in Canada in 2010. The meeting will take place in Huntsville, Ontario,[1] at the Deerhurst Resort. It will be the fifth G8 Summit hosted by Canada since 1976.[2] The locations of previous G8 summits to have been hosted by Canada include: Montebello, Quebec (1981); Toronto, Ontario (1988); Halifax, Nova Scotia (1995); and Kananaskis, Alberta (2002).

The G8 is an unofficial forum which brings together the heads of the leading industrialized democracies: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the United States, Canada (since 1976), Russia (since 1998),[3] and the EU Commission (since 1981).[4]

The G8 summits during the twenty-first century have also involved widespread parallel debates, protests and demonstrations by citizens.[5] Among the arguably valid reasons cited for demonstrations and protests was that the G8 summit represents more than "an arbitrary meeting" of governments which are responsible for accelerating inequality and poverty, for the reduction of social welfare, for the the exclusion of socially disadvantaged people and for the violations of fundamental rights.[6]

Leaders at the summit

The composition of the G8 summit is not expected to become an agenda item, but it is a perennial subject of speculation. [7]

Permanent G8+1 participants

The composition of the G8 summit is a perennial topic. The G8 summits have considered the the President of the European Commission as a permanently welcome participant in all G8 meetings and decision-making since 1981.[8]

Invited leaders (partial participation)

A number of national leaders were invited to attend the summit and to participate in some, but not all, G8 summit activities.

G8+5 leaders

The G8 plus the five largest emerging economies has come to be known as G8+5.

Other leaders

Other world leaders have been invited to previous G8 summit meetings; and this practice is expected to continue.

Heads of international organizations

Leaders of the major international organizations have also been invited to attend in the past; and this practice is expected to continue:

Priorities

Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, which take place primarily amongst multi-national civil servants in the weeks before the summit itself, leading to a joint declaration which all countries can agree to sign. Prime Minister Harper explained at outset,

"As hosts, our government will have considerable say over the agenda. It will be a tremendous opportunity to promote Canada’s values and interests; to advocate for open markets and trade opportunities; to assist on global action against global warming; and to champion values like freedom, democracy and human rights and the rule of law."[9]

Schedule and Agenda

A tentative agenda for the 36th G8 summit will include some issues which remain unresolved from previous summits.As chair of the G8 summit when many of the commitments for African aid and development are due to be fulfilled, special attention will be focused on Canada. International anti-poverty campaigners will descend on Huntsville.[10]

Citizens' responses and authorities' counter-responses

Protesters and demonstrations

Protest groups and other activists are expected to make a showing at the summit.[1] Forward planning for this specific G8 summits began in advance of the 2008 Hokkaido summit. Activist organizations anticipate that early planning can result in greater networking effectiveness for G8 summits.[11]

Not all demonstrations are expected to focused in opposition to some issue. At the 2005 Scotland summit, for the first time the tens of thousands of people protesting outside were actually supporting the summit's agenda of African aid;[3] and some activists traveled to Hokkaido in 2008 for the same purpose.[12]

Citizen journalism

Citizens' groups are expected to organize citizen journalism centers to provide independent media coverage of the G8 summit and the expected protests. In a sense, this article will evolve as the work product of something like citizen journalism, growing through serial draft texts as part of "the first rough draft of history."[13]

Accomplishments

The G8 summit is an international event which is observed and reported by news media, but the G8's continuing relevance after more than 30 years is somewhat unclear.[14] The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together.[15]

Prime Minister Harper anticipates that "the 2010 G8 Summit will provide short and long-term economic benefits for the region and the province, and it will be an exceptional opportunity for Canada to advance its values and interests on the world stage."[2] One industry speculating about a financial boon from the conference is real estate -- for example, cottage owners looking to capitalize by renting their properties to deep-pocketed dignitaries. The local Huntsville-Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce, believes the summit will produce economic spin-off and long-term benefits; but such optimism has drawn skepticism from some residents.[1]

Budget

The Canadian government has yet to announce how much the nation expects to invest in hosting the G-8 summit in 2010.

Canada 2010

Canada will host other international events in 2010, including:

References

  1. ^ a b c Andreatta, David. "Brace yourself, Huntsville. The G8 is coming," Globe and Mail (Toronto). July 12, 2008. Cite error: The named reference "globe1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Prime Minister announces Canada to host 2010 G8 Summit in Huntsville," June 19, 2008. Cite error: The named reference "announce1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Saunders, Doug. "Weight of the world too heavy for G8 shoulders," Globe and Mail (Toronto). July 5, 2008. Cite error: The named reference "saunders1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ Reuters: "Factbox: The Group of Eight: what is it?", July 3, 2008.
  5. ^ "G8 Action Network". G8 Action Network. Retrieved 2008-06-29. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ "Let's Join in G8 Action Network Action Against Social Exclusion and Call for Fair Labor - Join Us in the Movement Against G8". No G8 Action Japan. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
  7. ^ "G8: U. S. Against Broadening to Emerging Economies," AGI (Agenzia Giornolistica Italiana). July 7, 2008.
  8. ^ Reuters: "Factbox: The Group of Eight: what is it?", July 3, 2008.
  9. ^ Learn, Rob. "Huntsville to serve as world stage in 2010," Huntsville Forrester (Huntsville, Ontario). June 25, 2008.
  10. ^ Clark, Campbell. "Canada a laggard on African aid," Globe and Mail (Toronto). July 7, 2008.
  11. ^ "Update: G8...Forward plan with others for future G8 summits," BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development). 2008.
  12. ^ "We're not G8 protesters, says Nighy," Star (Sheffield). July 8, 2008.
  13. ^ Braiker, Brian. "History's New First Draft," Newsweek (New York). July 8, 2008; Keyes, Ralph. The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and when, p. 107.
  14. ^ Lee, Don. "On eve of summit, G-8's relevance is unclear," Los Angeles Times. July 6, 2008.
  15. ^ Feldman, Adam. "What's Wrong With The G-8," Forbes (New York). July 7, 2008.
  16. ^ Sainsbury, Macdonald. "2010 Organizing and the Tar Sands: Inspiring the SPP and helping the Olympics," ZNet. 2008.

See also

Preceded by 36th G8 summit
2010
Canada
Succeeded by