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Political changes in the G8 member nations are likely to affect the composition of the 35th G8 summit.<ref>Canseco, Mario. [http://www.angus-reid.com/analysis/view/31220/a_summit_of_goodbyes/ "A Summit of Goodbyes,"] Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 14, 2008.</ref>
Political changes in the G8 member nations are likely to affect the composition of the 35th G8 summit.<ref>Canseco, Mario. [http://www.angus-reid.com/analysis/view/31220/a_summit_of_goodbyes/ "A Summit of Goodbyes,"] Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 14, 2008.</ref>


===Permanent G8+1 participants===
===Permanent G8 participants===
The composition of the G8 summit is a perennial topic. The G8 summits have considered the President of the European Commission as a permanently welcome participant in all G8 meetings and decision-making since 1981, which means that the G8 summit includes nine essential participants, which means that this summit has nine essential participants.<ref name="reuters_what"/> The G8 summit will be the first for United States President [[Barack Obama]] and Japanese Prime Minister [[Taro Aso]].
The 35th G8 summit will be the first for United States President [[Barack Obama]] and Japanese Prime Minister [[Taro Aso]].
<gallery widths="122px">
<gallery widths="122px">
Image:Stephen Harper official portrait.jpg|{{flagicon|Canada}} '''[[Canada]]'''<br>[[Stephen Harper]], [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]]
Image:Stephen Harper official portrait.jpg|{{flagicon|Canada}} '''[[Canada]]'''<br>[[Stephen Harper]], [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]]
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Image:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg|{{flagicon|United States}} '''[[United States]]'''<br>[[Barack Obama]], [[President of the United States|President]]
Image:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg|{{flagicon|United States}} '''[[United States]]'''<br>[[Barack Obama]], [[President of the United States|President]]
</gallery>
</gallery>
Also included in this select group of world leaders:
⚫
* {{flagicon|EU}} '''[[European Union]]''' [[Jose Manuel Barroso]], President of [[European Commission|EU Commission]];<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3465359,00.html "EU Promises Food Crisis Aid of 1 Billion Euros Before G8 Summit,"] Deutsche Welle (Bonn). July 7, 2008.</ref>


===Invited leaders (partial participation)===
===Invited leaders (partial participation)===
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* [[Image:Flag of WHO.svg|22px|WHO]] '''[[World Health Organization]]'''
* [[Image:Flag of WHO.svg|22px|WHO]] '''[[World Health Organization]]'''
* <!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Wto logo.png|22px]] -->'''[[World Trade Organization]]'''
* <!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Wto logo.png|22px]] -->'''[[World Trade Organization]]'''
⚫
* {{flagicon|EU}} '''[[European Union]]''' [[Jose Manuel Barroso]], President of [[European Commission|EU Commission]];<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3465359,00.html "EU Promises Food Crisis Aid of 1 Billion Euros Before G8 Summit,"] Deutsche Welle (Bonn). July 7, 2008.</ref>


==Priorities==
==Priorities==

Revision as of 21:29, 10 April 2009

Template:Future

35th G8 summit
35th G8 summit official logo
Host countryItaly
DatesJuly 8 – July 10

The 35th G8 summit is to take place in Maddalena, Italy, in July 2009[1]. The Mediterranean island of La Maddalena is the largest island of the Maddalena Archipelago, situated in the Straits of Bonifacio between Corsica and Northeast Sardinia. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Italy include: Venice (1980); Venice (1987); Naples (1994) and Genoa (2001).[2] The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders. The event has become an occasion for a wide variety of non-governmental organizations, activists and civic groups to congregate and discuss a multitude of issues.[3]

Overview

The Group of Seven (G7) was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada starting in 1976. The G8, meeting for the first time in 1997, was formed with the addition of Russia.[4] In addition, the President of the European Commission has been formally included in summits since 1981.[5] The summits were not meant to be linked formally with wider international institutions; and in fact, a mild rebellion against the stiff formality of other international meetings was a part of the genesis of cooperation between France's President Giscard d'Estaing and Germany's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt as they conceived the initial summit of the Group of Six (G6) in 1975.[6]

The G8 summits during the twenty-first century have inspired widespread debates, protests and demonstrations; and the two- or three-day event becomes more than the sum of its parts, elevating the participants, the issues and the venue as focal points for activist pressure.[7]

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. [8] Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced at the press conference at the end of the second day of the Hokkaido summit that the current number of participants will be maintained when the G8 leaders meet next on the island of La Maddalena in 2009. Berlusconi also explained that a proposal to expand the G8 to include members of the Group of Five (G8+G5) emerging economies - China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa - had not found sufficient support.[9]

France would like to see China become a full member by the time the 37th G8 summit in 2011 is organized.[10]

Political changes in the G8 member nations are likely to affect the composition of the 35th G8 summit.[11]

Permanent G8 participants

The 35th G8 summit will be the first for United States President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Invited leaders (partial participation)

A number of national leaders are traditionally invited to attend the summit and to participate in some, but not all, G8 summit activities.[10]

G8+5 leaders

The G8 plus the five largest emerging economies are known as G8+5,[10] including:

Other leaders

Previous G8 summits have invited other world leaders to participate;[10] and representatives from a number of countries are anticipated at this summit,[12] including:

Italy's Berlusconi announced that his country is prepared to host leaders of the G20 on the third day of talks at La Maddalena. The proposed purpose would be to work towards developing new rules to stop the phenomenon of excessive securitization in the financial system and the use of derivatives that led to the current financial crisis.[12] British Prime Minister Brown supports this proposal.[17]

The Italian presidency of the G8 varies the summit's working methods and the numbers of participants depending on the subject under consideration. This "variable geometry structure" diverges from the traditional G8 format. The involvement of different actors at different stages goes further than the idea of a simple "G8+?". After an initial meeting of the "historic core" leaders of what is understood as the traditional G8), the agenda will broaden and the number of participants will be expanded accordingly. The leaders of G8 countries and G5 countries will be joined by a delegation from Egypt and a representative group of African countries.[18]

Some suggested that the G8's annual meetings be broadened to include the heads of States or governments of the other countries represented in the governing bodies of the Bretton Woods institutions along with the heads of the main multilateral organisations. This would convert the G8 summits into an informal "global governance council." [19]

Heads of international organizations

Leaders of 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. This year, leaders of the G8 hoped to find common ground

Issues

The summit was intended as a venue for resolving differences among its members. As a practical matter, the summit was also conceived as an opportunity for its members to give each other mutual encouragement in the face of difficult economic decisions.[6] From Italy's perspective, the important thing is for the evolving G8 to avoid being to closely linked to serial emergency situations that there is no room for discussing broader issues.[18]

The Rambouillet summit in 1975 produced no easy answers to what was then the most serious recession since the 1930s; but the main themes of what is now considered the 1st G8 summit have persisted at the top of the the world's agenda -- avoiding protectionism, energy dependency and boosting growth.[21] However, the plausibly prescient British Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Peter Mandelson, speaking in 2009, expressed the opinion that "however long it might persist as a grouping, as a steering committee for the global economy, the era of the G8 is over. Mandelson's comment comes during a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil.[22]

Schedule and Agenda

Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi explained that the schedule of meetings would be very much like that of the Hokkaido summit,

"My opinion is that it is best to keep together countries which share the same principles and I suggested that in 2009 the first day of the summit should see just the G8 meet. On the second day the table can be expanded in the morning to include the G5, with the G8+5 also discussing Africa, while the G8 would then meet alone in the afternoon to draw their conclusions. This program was unanimously accepted and will be used at the G8 summit in Italy."[9]

A tentative agenda for the 35th G8 summit will include some issues which remain unresolved from previous summits. The process of finalizing the agenda moved forward when Berlusconi's began contacting his G8 counterparts shortly after Italy took over the rotating presidency on January 1, 2009. At this point, the Italian premier's office announced that Italy, as G8 host country, was planning to focus its initiatives on the economy, energy issues, sustainable development and climate change. Other issues on the agenda might encompass disarmament, the fight against terrorism and peace efforts in world hot spots.[23] Global health issues and food were also proposed as suitable topics for discussion at the summit. Global health was first introduced as an agenda item nine years ago at the 26th G8 summit in 2000.[24]

On the G8 agenda:
  • Climate change.[25]
  • Energy; Nuclear energy.[25]
  • Dialogue with emerging countries[26]
  • Achievment of millennium development goals[26]
  • Negotiations on climate change[26]
  • Development of Africa -- 4 issues (alimentation, global health, water, education)[26] or education, water, food and agriculture, peace support.[25]
  • Intellectual property.[25]
  • Heilengendamm process.[26]
  • Outreach and expansion.[26]

Afghanistan pre-summit

The Italian government announced plans to its presidency of the G8 as a opportunity to help search for a regional diplomatic solution to the Afghan conflict. A pre-summit conference in June is proposed, bringing together the G8 and major states in the region including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Turkey. Concurrently, Italy became the first NATO member in Europe to answer Pres. Obama's call for reinforcements in Afghanistan, increasing Italian troops in the western province of Herat to 2,800 this year.[27]

Iran announced that it had received an invitation to attend the pre-summit;[28] and the Iranian government is considering whether to attend.[29] Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, discussed Iran's prospective participation in the proposed pre-summit.[30]

Infrastructure Consortium for Africa

The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) was established at the 31st G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland in the United Kingdom in 2005. Since that time, the ICA’s annual meeting is traditionally hosted by the country holding the Presidency of the G8. The 2008 meeting was held in Tokyo in March 2008, and the 2009 meeting is planned for mid-March in Rome.[31]

Issues

Africa

The G8 leaders will discuss a range of issues relating to African development. Africa, which has been on the G8 agenda since 2000, has continues to lag behind on progress towards meeting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).[32] In February 2009, Margaret Chan, head of the WHO, emphasized the importance of meeting the modest goals which were discussed and adopted in previous G8 summit discussions.[33]

Climate change

The G8 leaders will discuss a range of issues relating to climate in the context of a framework established at the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Bali, Indonesia.[32]

Citizens' responses and authorities' counter-responses

Protesters and demonstrations

Protest groups and other activists are expected to make a showing at the summit. Forward planning for this and future 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. The 2009 summit will likely attract significant focus for development campaigners in G8 countries and elsewhere in Europe including the regional GCAP Europe. Collective campaigning ahead of the European Parliament elections is also anticipated to generate momentum on global issues ahead of July 2009.[7]

In 2008, a number of commemorative events were organized to mark the seventh anniversary of demonstrations at the Genoa G8 summit; and the occasion included a call for people to participate in preparations for protests at the 2009 G8 summit.[34]

Not all demonstrations are expected to be 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;[4] and some activists traveled to Hokkaido for the same purpose.[35]

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."[36]

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.[37] The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together.[38]

Italy anticipates that the G8 of the future will serve a more significant strategic function supporting international organizations like the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO and the United Nations). The success of the La Maddalena summit will become measurable in the ways the G8 comes to resemble an initiative and pressure group working together to achieve global consensus.[18]

Security

In light events at the Genoa summit, security will be one of the key indices for measuring the success of the La Madellena summit. In a December 2008 press conference, President Berlusconi addressed this issue explicitly: "Given the traumatic experience of Genoa ... for us the problem of security is a real one. The previous government picked Maddalena thinking, I believe, that this location would be ideal to avoid a repeat of what happened in Genoa."[39]

San Marco Regiment badge.

The Marina Militare Italiana ship San Giorgio moored near San Stefano island in early March 2009. The San Giorgio class amphibious transport dock is an element in security planning for the summit in July; and 150 marine riflemen from the San Marco Regiment have been assigned "red zone" security duty.[40]

Italian authorities anticipate 25,000 people attending the summit, including 4,500 delegates, 4,500 journalists and a large number of security forces. The logistical challenge for participants and the media traveling back and forth to the main venue from Sardinia by boat and helicopter is expected to mirror difficulties which will face those who might pose a security threat.[39]

Budget

Part of the cost of creating the facilities for the 2009 summit were merged in the costs of transforming the former U.S. Navy submarine base at Punta Rossa into a tourist and vacation destination.[41] This harbor has been an Italian naval base since 1887; but the area was bombed extensively in World War II; and some of work involves restoration as well as renewal. The Arsenale marittimo (maritime arsenal) has been converted to a new use as a conference center; and the military hospital has been reconfigured for use as a hotel. From the beginning of the conversion's design stage, planning focused on potential uses which could be anticipated after the end of the G8 summit.[42]

At the end of the 2009 summit, La Maddalena's facilities and amenities will be available for tourist accommodations, and the conference spaces will be available for booking. The harbor's reconstructed quays, moorings and amenities will become a new Mediterranean port of call just north of the exclusive Costa Smeralda of eastern Sardinia.[42]

The infrastructure investment which resurfaces and extends the length of the nearby airport's runways will also upgrade the facility for increased tourism traffic after the summit leaders have left the island.[43]

Business opportunity

For some, the G8 summit becomes a profit-generating event; as for example, the G8 Summit magazines which have been published under the auspices of the host nations for distribution to all attendees since 1998.[44]

The Italian government has made arrangements to hire the 133,500-ton MS Fantasia cruise ship to anchor off La Maddalena to provide supplemental accommodation during the island summit. The Fantasia is the flagship of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a privately-owned Italian shipping company. The ship is designed to carries up to 3,959 passengers and 1,325 crew.[45]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Small Sardinian island to host G8 summit in 2009," Reuters. June 14, 2007.
  2. ^ Smith, Diane. "2009 G8 Summit In La Maddalena, Italy," eFluxMedia (New York). June 15, 2007; 35th summit website: "Italy in the G8."
  3. ^ Zablonski, Lukasz and Philip Seaton. "The Hokkaido Summit as a Springboard for Grassroots Initiatives: The 'Peace, Reconciliation & Civil Society' Symposium," The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus (e-journal). ID No. 2973.
  4. ^ a b Saunders, Doug. "Weight of the world too heavy for G8 shoulders," Globe and Mail (Toronto). July 5, 2008.
  5. ^ Reuters: "Factbox: The Group of Eight: what is it?", July 3, 2008.
  6. ^ a b Reinalda, Bob and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998). Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations, p. 205.
  7. ^ a b "Influencing Policy on International Development: G8," BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development). 2008.
  8. ^ "G8: U. S. Against Broadening to Emerging Economies," AGI (Agenzia Giornolistica Italiana). July 7, 2008.
  9. ^ a b "G8: Summit format to be maintained,"] ANSA (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata - Società Cooperativa). July 8, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c d Welch, David. "Canada has an opportunity to remake world summitry," Toronto Star. July 18, 2008.
  11. ^ Canseco, Mario. "A Summit of Goodbyes," Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 14, 2008.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Italy says to host G20 leaders at July G8 summit," Reuters. March 9, 2009.
  13. ^ Marchetti, Silvia and Yang Aiguo. "Italian G8 2009 presidency faces tough challenges," Xinghua News Agency. January 3, 2009.
  14. ^ "Libya's Gadhafi Accepts Italian Invitation TO G8 Meeting." DowJones Business News. March 3, 2009.
  15. ^ a b 35th summit website: "Nigeria and Senegal Officially Invited to This Year's G8 Summit," February 13, 2009.
  16. ^ 35th summit website: "Four Delegations Visit Summit Venue in Third Week in February," February 20, 2009.
  17. ^ "PM looks to G20 for economy deal," No. 10 Downing Street. February 20, 2009.
  18. ^ a b c Frattini, Franco. "Summits of the ‘big’ countries growing in importance but the G8 continues to play a strategic role," Il Messaggero. April 2, 2009.
  19. ^ Camdessus, Michel. "Africa: Open G8 to More Heads of Govt, Says Ex-IMF Chief," Africa Progress Panel (Geneva). March 27, 2009.
  20. ^ "EU Promises Food Crisis Aid of 1 Billion Euros Before G8 Summit," Deutsche Welle (Bonn). July 7, 2008.
  21. ^ Stewart, Heather and Larry Elliott. "Hopes fading for salvation at the summit," The Guardian (London). March 22, 2009.
  22. ^ Norman, Laurence. "UK Mandelson: "Era Of The G8 Is Over," Wall Street Journal (New York). March 25, 2009.
  23. ^ Mu Xuequan. "Berlusconi, Merkel discuss financial crisis, gas row," Xinhua (Beijing). January 10, 2009.
  24. ^ Kurokawa, Kyoshi et al. "Italian G8 Summit: a critical juncture for global health," The Lancet (British Medical Association). Vol. 373, Iss. 9663 (14 February 2009), pp. 526-527.
  25. ^ a b c d University of Toronto, G8 study group: 2009 summit agenda
  26. ^ a b c d e f Global Forum on NGO Governance (ON-NGO): 2009 summit agenda
  27. ^ Borger, Julian. "Italy sends more troops to Afghanistan," The Guardian (London). February 6, 2009.
  28. ^ "Iran says received invitation to G8 meeting on Afghanistan," IranVNC (Iran Visual News Corps). February 23, 2009.
  29. ^ "Iran mulls attending G8 on Afghanistan," PressTV (Iran). February 23, 2009.
  30. ^ "Frattini: Iran may aid G8 Afghan effort," MarketWatch (Wall Street Journal digital network). February 23, 2009.
  31. ^ "Meeting to Discuss Crisis Impact in Africa's Infrastructure Development," Afrol News. March 2, 2009.
  32. ^ a b The Japan G8 in 2008: a New Year’s Resolution for delivery on the big questions? , ODI Blog, published December 20, 2007-12-20, accessed 2008-01-02
  33. ^ Chan, Maraget. "G8 has clout to shape development agenda," Business Daily Africa. February 24, 2009/
  34. ^ "G8 Genoa: Police receive low sentences," Gipfelsoli Infogroup. July 15, 2008.
  35. ^ "We're not G8 protesters, says Nighy," Star (Sheffield). July 8, 2008.
  36. ^ 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.
  37. ^ Lee, Don. "On eve of summit, G-8's relevance is unclear," Los Angeles Times. July 6, 2008.
  38. ^ Feldman, Adam. "What's Wrong With The G-8," Forbes (New York). July 7, 2008.
  39. ^ a b "Italy Hopes Island G8 Will Be Violence-Free," Reuters. December 4, 2008.
  40. ^ "G8: 'San Marco' riflemen arrive in La Maddalena," AvioNews (World Aeronautical Press Agency). March 10, 2009; "G8: alla Maddalena fucilieri del Reggimento 'San Marco'." ANSA (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata). March 10, 2009.
  41. ^ Wingfield, Brian. "U.S. to Shut Base in Italy That Aids Nuclear Subs," New York Times. November 25, 2005.
  42. ^ a b 35th summit website: Local redevelopment
  43. ^ Regione Autonoma della Sardegna: "Il Governo blocca i fondi per le opere collaterali del G8." February 6, 2009.
  44. ^ Prestige Media: "official" G8 Summit magazine
  45. ^ Honeywell, John. "All aboard for the G8 summit," The Mirror (London). March 22, 2009; Golden, Fran. "G8 summit to be held on the MSC Fantasia," USA Today (New York). March 2009.

References

External links

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