37th G8 summit: Difference between revisions
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The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together.<ref>Feldman, Adam. "What's Wrong With The G-8," ''Forbes'' (US). 7 July 2008.</ref> |
The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together.<ref>Feldman, Adam. "What's Wrong With The G-8," ''Forbes'' (US). 7 July 2008.</ref> |
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===Infrastructure Consortium for Africa=== |
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The [[Infrastructure Consortium for Africa]] ([[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 -- in 2011 in France.<ref name="afrol1">[http://www.afrol.com/articles/32569 "Meeting to Discuss Crisis Impact in Africa's Infrastructure Development,"] ''Afrol News'' (Lesotho; Norway). 2 March 2009; retrieved 13 February 2011</ref> |
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==Security== |
==Security== |
Revision as of 10:13, 27 May 2011
![]() | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
37th G8 summit | |
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Host country | France |
Dates | 26–27 May |
The 37th G8 summit is being held 26–27 May in the commune of Deauville in France.[1]
Previous G8 summits have been hosted by France in locations which include Rambouillet (1975); Versailles (1982); Grande Arche, Paris (1989); Lyon (1996); and Évian-les-Bains (2003).[2]
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.[3] In addition, the President of the European Commission has been formally included in summits since 1981.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6]
The form and functions of the G8 were reevaluated as the G-20 summits evolved into the premier forum for discussing, planning and monitoring international economic cooperation.[7] The "new G8" is refocusing on the subjects of common interest to the G8 countries, geopolitical and security issues.[2]
The forum is in a process of transformation.[8]
Leaders at the summit
The G8 is an unofficial annual forum for the leaders of Canada, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.[4]
Core G8 participants
These summit participants are the current "core members" of the international forum:[9]
Canada Stephen Harper, Prime Minister[10]
France Nicolas Sarkozy, President[11]
Germany Angela Merkel, Chancellor[12]
Italy Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister[13]
Japan Naoto Kan, Prime Minister[10]
Russia Dmitry Medvedev[11]
United Kingdom David Cameron, Prime Minister[11]
United States Barack Obama, President[11]
European Union Jose Manuel Barroso, President of EU Commission[11] and Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council
Invited leaders
A number of national leaders are traditionally invited to attend the summit.[2] These invitees participate in some, but not all, G8 summit activities. This year, invitees include:
Algeria[14]
Egypt Essam Sharaf, Prime Minister[11]
Ethiopia[14]
Equatorial Guinea[14]
Nigeria[14]
Senegal[14]
South Africa[14]
Tunisia Beji Caid el Sebsi, Prime Minister[11]
Heads of international organizations and institutions
Leaders of the major international organizations have also been invited to attend previous summit meetings;[2] and this practice is expected to continue, including:
Priorities
Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, but world events establish other priorities, including such issues such as the Fukushima nuclear accident[15] and the European sovereign debt crisis.[16]
Issues
The summit is 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.[5] The G-8 is a forum for political and strategic discussions, and as a caucus within the G-20.[17]
Schedule and Agenda
A tentative agenda for the 37th G8 summit will include some issues which remain unresolved from previous summits, including calls for more concrete action and measures, not just principles and rhetoric -- not just another "talk shop."[18] French priorities include:
- Afghanistan[19]
- The G8 + Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA)[20]
- The Internet: new challenges[21]
- Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction[22]
- The G8's Partnership with Africa[23]
- Transatlantic Cocaine Trafficking[24]
- Counter-terrorism[25]
- G8 political and security issues[26]
Citizens' responses and authorities' counter-responses
Protesters and demonstrations
Protest groups and other activists are expected to make a showing at the summit..[27]
Citizen journalism
Citizens' groups are expected to organize citizen journalism centers to provide independent media coverage of the G8 summit and the expected protests.
Accomplishments
The G8 summit is an international event which is observed and reported by news media. The G8's continuing relevance after more than 30 years is a topic of discussion.[28]
The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together.[29]
Security
Security planning is designed to ensure that the summit's formal agenda can remain the primary focus of the attendees' discussions. [30]
Budget
When President Sarkozy projects that the summits in Deauville and Cannes will will cost "ten times less" than the cost of the Canadian summits in 2010.[31]
Business opportunity
For some, the G8 summit becomes a profit-generating event. For example, the G8 Summit magazines which have been published under the auspices of the host nations for distribution to all attendees since 1998.[32] According to the Mayor of Deauville, "Our main interest is the economic implications."[33]
See also
- 2011 G-20 Cannes summit
- G6
- G7
- International Panel on Climate Change
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Notes
- ^ Présidence française du G20 et du G8, Dossier de presse,p. 27; excerpt, Le sommet du G8 aura lieu les 26 et 27 mai à Deauville (The G8 summit will take place on May, 26th and 27th in Deauville); "Le prochain G20 aura lieu à Cannes," Le point (France). 12 November 2010; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ a b c d e f G20/G8 2011 official site, What is G8?; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Parliament (UK), "G20 rises, G7 & G8 fall?"; see G8 + G20 + BRICs represented in relational graphic at bottom of page; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ a b "Factbox: The Group of Eight: what is it?" Reuters (UK), 3 July 2008; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ a b Reinalda, Bob and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998). Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations, p. 205.
- ^ "Influencing Policy on International Development: G8," BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development). 2008; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Parliament (UK): Townsend, Ian. "G20 & the November 2010 Seoul summit" (SN/EP/5028), 19 October 2010; excerpt, "Today, we designated the G-20 as the premier forum for our international economic cooperation" citing "Pittsburgh G20 Leaders’ summit communiqué," 25 September 2009, paragraph 50.
- ^ Congressional Record Service, R40977: Nelson, Rebecca M. "Implications of the transition from G-7 to G20," pp. 22-26. The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress, 9 December 2009; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Rieffel, Lex. "Regional Voices in Global Governance: Looking to 2010 (Part IV)," Brookings (US). 27 March 2009; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ a b "G8 highlights euro debt risk to world economy," Independent (UK). May 26, 2011; retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g Wintour, Patrick. "G8 summit: UK offers Egypt and Tunisia £110m to Boost Democracy,: Guardian (UK). 26 May 2011; retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ Brost, Marc and Jörg Lau. "Ab in die Ecke," Die Zeit (Germany). 26 Mai 2011; retrieved 2011-05-26
- ^ Italy, G8/2011 official site; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ a b c d e f "Deauville transformé en forteresse pour le G8 des 26 et 27 mai," L'Express (France). 25 February 2011; retrieved 2011-05-26
- ^ Jessop-Kolesnikov, Sonia. "As G-8 Meets, Asian Leaders Seek a Bigger Role," New York Times (US). May 25, 2011; retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ Erlanger, Steven and Liz Alderman. "Euro Crisis Looms for Group of 8," New York Times (US). May 25, 2011; retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ Jessop-Kolesnikov, "As G-8 Meets"; excerpt, According to Tommy Koh of Singapore, "the 2008 global financial crisis showed that a body that more accurately reflected the weight of emerging economies was needed to help steer the world out of that crisis .... G-20 has thus supplanted the G-8 as the main body for global financial and economic cooperation [and] the G-8 still remains as a forum for political and strategic discussions, and as a caucus within the G-20"; retrieved 2011-05-26
- ^ Kaur, Hardev. "G20 leaders must deliver on their promises," The New Straits Times (Malaysia). 20 February 2009.
- ^ Afghanisatan, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Karabell, Zachary. "On the Heels of Revolution, Economic Realities Arrive," New York Times (US). May 25, 2011; G8 + BMENA, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Internet challenges, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Non-proliferation/WMDs, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ G8 + Partnership with Africa, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Cocaine trafficking, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Counter-terrorism, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Political and security issues, G8/2011 official website; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Crispian Balmer and Kevin Liffey. "Q+A: Election defeat poses problems for Sarkozy," Reuters (UK). 21 March 2010; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Lee, Don. "On eve of summit, G-8's relevance is unclear," Los Angeles Times (US). 6 July 2008; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Feldman, Adam. "What's Wrong With The G-8," Forbes (US). 7 July 2008.
- ^ Schuetze, Christopher A. "A French Town's Bright Shine Belies Its Size," New York Times (US). May 25, 2011; retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ "Sarkozy says his G8/G20 will cost one-tenth of Canada’s," Globe and Mail (Canada). 27 June 2010; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Prestige Media: "official" G8 Summit magazine; retrieved 13 February 2011
- ^ Schuetze, "A French Town"; retrieved 2011-05-26
References
- Reinalda, Bob and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998). Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations. London: Routledge. 10-ISBN 0-415-16486-9/13-ISBN 978-0-415-16486-3; 13-ISBN 978-0-203-45085-7;10-ISBN 0-203-45085-X; OCLC 39013643
External links
- G8 Information Centre
- Graphic: G20 is not simply the 20 largest economies
- Official website. NB: No official website is created for any G7 summit prior to 1995 -- see the 21st G7 summit.
- University of Toronto: G8 Research Group, G8 Information Centre