G-8

BY-
HARPREET SINGH
ROLL NO. 18
Establishment
• The Group of Eight (G8) is an international forum for the governments of eight nations
of the northern hemisphere Together, these countries represent about 65% of the
world economy.
• Forum of world's major industrialized democracies
• 1973 oil crisis and subsequent global recession
• 1974 the United States created the Library Group, an informal gathering of senior
financial officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan
and Poland
• 1975 French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing invited the heads of government
from West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to a
summit in Rambouillet - Group of Six (G6)
• 1976 Canada joined the group at the behest of U.S – group became known as the
Group of Seven (G7)
• The European Union is represented by the President of the European Commission
• Summit at the country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
- first United Kingdom in 1977
• 1994 Russia had separate meeting with leaders of the G7 after the main summit
• Russia formally joined the group in 1997, resulting in the Group of Eight (G8)
Member Countries
• France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, United
States, Canada, & Russia
• The EU is a "non-enumerated" ninth member
• Leaders from other countries are invited to the summit,
but they are not participants
• The G8, unlike the United Nations, is not an organization
or institution, and there is no formal charter or
secretariat.
• Each calendar year, the responsibility of hosting the G8
rotates through the member states in the following order:
France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia,
Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada.
Contd…
Unparalleled concentration of power and influence:
• In 1975, the G8 nations constituted 55 percent of global gross
domestic product (GDP); by 2004, this figure had decreased but still
it represents 44 percent of global GDP
• 4 nuclear powers
• 4 UNSC permanent members
• 49,8% of the world GDP
• 49% of the world trade
• 49.6% of the IMF quota
Objectives
• Africa
• Climate change
• Counter terrorism
• Non proliferation
• Supporting reform in the broader Middle East and North
Africa
• Global energy security
• Infectious diseases
• Education
• Growth and responsibility in the global economy
• Growth and responsibility in Africa
Contd…

• The ministerial meetings 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 the G8+5,
created during the 2005 Gleneagles, Scotland summit, that is
attended by finance and energy ministers from all eight member
countries in addition to the five "Outreach Countries": Brazil,
China, India, Mexico, and South Africa.
• In June 2005, justice ministers and interior ministers from the G8
countries agreed to launch an international database on
pedophiles. The G8 officials also agreed to pool data on
terrorism, subject to restrictions by privacy and security laws in
individual countries.
Work Done
• Prior to the start of the summit ,a coalition of groups,
including Greenpeace, Water Aid and End Water
Poverty, issued a call to G8 leaders who , thus, tackled
global water and sanitation issues, especially those in
developing countries.
• G-8 also took up the issues on poverty and climate
change for which was even praised by David Cameron.
• G8 members pledged to implement efforts towards
universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment,
care and support by 2010, with particular focus on
prevention and integration of services for HIV/TB. "
Contd…
• At Evian in 2003, the G8 adopted a Water Action Plan as
a contribution to meet the Millennium Development
Goals (MDG) and other internationally agreed targets on
water and sanitation
• At the latest G8 summit in L'Aquila, leaders stated that
rich nations should cut emissions by 80 per cent by
2050, and the rest of the world should reduce them by
50 per cent.
 ODA in 2006 $ millions:
G8 countries provide most aid
G8 are largest
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 donors –
keeping to
United States
United Kingdom
Japan
France
Germ any
Netherlands
Sw eden
their resource
commitments
Spain
Canada
Italy

is vital for
Norw ay
Denm ark
Australia
Belgium
Sw itzerland
Austria
Ireland
achieving
MDGs
Finland
Portugal
Greece
Luxem bourg
New Zealand
Remarkable Decisions
• The leaders agreed that the increase in
global average temperatures should not
exceed 2 degrees Celsius over pre-
industrial levels by 2020.
• They also set a long-term goal of cutting
greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent
worldwide, and by 80 per cent among
industrialized nations, by 2050.
Summits