page_title: Group of Eight
section_title: Criticism
hierarchical_section_title: Group of Eight / Criticism
caption_attribution_description: Genova - Fatti del G8 del 20 luglio 2001 Incidenti a Corso Torino (pressi di Brignole)
context_page_description: The Group of Eight was an inter-governmental political forum from 1997 until 2014. It had formed from incorporating the country of Russia into the Group of Seven, or G7, and returned to its previous name after Russia was disinvited in 2014.
  The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit came to be known as the Group of Seven, in 1976 with the addition of Canada. Russia was added to the political forum from 1997, which the following year became known as the G8. In March 2014 Russia was suspended indefinitely following the annexation of Crimea, whereupon the political forum name reverted to G7. In 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. The European Union was represented at the G8 since the 1980s as a "nonenumerated" participant, but originally could not host or chair summits.
context_section_description: Some criticism centres on the assertion that members of G8 do not do enough to help global problems, due to strict patent policy and other issues related to globalization. In Unraveling 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.
  The Heritage Foundation has criticized the G8 for advocating food security without making room for economic freedom.
caption: 20 July 2001, 27th G8 summit in Genoa, Italy: Protesters burn a police vehicle
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