G8: Annual Summit – Japan | DeepDyve Try 2 weeks free now G8: Annual Summit – Japan The summit exposed the limits of the power wielded by the leaders of the world’s eight supposedly most powerful economies. At the Group of eight’s (G8— Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States ) annual summit to discuss the state of the planet, held in Hokkaido, Japan in July, it became apparent how global the problems facing the world, and therefore their potential solutions, are. Even the strongest nations are being buffeted by forces that individual leaders cannot control and that can only be tamed, if they can be tamed at all, at a truly international level, the Financial Times , London, said. Just a year earlier when the eight heads of state met in Germany’s seaside resort of Heiligendamm, none was aware of the threats lurking in the US subprime housing market. They had probably never heard of monolines, the bond insurers whose troubles subsequently seemed capable of spreading financial Armageddon, nor conceived of oil at $140 a barrel or rice at $1,100 a tonne.

New forces are shaping almost everything these leaders are straining to do, from propping up financial systems to stimulating their economies and dousing energy and food inflation. Some Africa Research Bulletin: Economic, Financial and Technical Series Wiley peaceful use in the Maghreb. Algeria’s Khelil told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting that AMU experts will conduct technical and legal studies to identify the projects countries in the region could undertake in this domain. Both Morocco and Tunisia showed substantial interest in this proposal. Moroccan Minister of Energy Amina Benkhadra emphasised that that devel- oping nuclear power for peaceful pur- poses has become an indispensable necessity, and that AMU states must implement nuclear projects. Tunisia’s Chelbi adopted a similar view, stressing that nuclear energy is the alternative to oil. When asked about a potential timeline for the proposed projects, Khelil told reporters it would be diﬃcult to set a deﬁnite agenda before experts wrap up preliminary studies at the end of 2008. (Magharebia.com 7 ⁄ 7) Leaders, ‘‘deeply concerned’’ by the food crisis, plan an agricultural cam- paign.

The 10th summit of heads of state of the community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) in June elected Benin’s President Yayi Boni as chairman of the organisation for a one-year term. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day summit in Cotonou, Presi- dent Boni said he was committed ‘‘to explore all avenues to improve the posi- tion of CEN-SAD in the regional com- munities’’. The summit was on the theme: ‘‘Rural development and food security in the CEN-SAD zone’’. Launched on February 4th 1998 in Tripoli, Libya, CEN-SAD groups 28 member states, including Mauritania, Kenya and Sao Tome and Principe that joined the organisation on June 17th. CEN-SAD pledged to: • Set up an investment guarantee agency for the Sahelian-Saharan Bank for Investment and Trade (BSIC). • Give emergency support to vulnerable populations and farmers to help them meet their food needs. • To carry out an agricultural campaign that would help increase internal food supplies.

• To mobilise partners so as to give priority to sustainable agricultural development programmes in bilateral and multilateral cooperation agencies, and to support agri- cultural technology transfer and sustain- able water and soil management programmes particularly through the • To create an environment favourable for private investments in the agricultural sector, so as to facilitate exchange of basic foodstuffs and a greater availability of information about food products markets. • To advocate water control, soil fertilising, mechanisation of agricultural research and the reinforcement of measures taken to stop the degradation of natural resources, through the implementation of relevant international conventions. The summit exposed the limits of the power wielded by the leaders of the world’s eight supposedly most powerful economies. At the Group of eight’s (G8—Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States) annual summit to discuss the state of the pla- net, held in Hokkaido, Japan in July, it became apparent how global the prob- lems facing the world, and therefore their potential solutions, are.

Even the strongest nations are being buﬀeted by forces that individual lead- ers cannot control and that can only be tamed, if they can be tamed at all, at a truly international level, the Financial Times, London, said. Just a year earlier when the eight heads of state met in Germany’s seaside resort of Heiligendamm, none was aware of the threats lurking in the US subprime housing market. They had probably never heard of monolines, the bond insurers whose troubles subse- quently seemed capable of spreading ﬁnancial Armageddon, nor conceived of oil at $140 a barrel or rice at $1,100 a tonne. New forces are shaping almost everything these leaders are straining to do, from propping up ﬁnancial systems to stimulating their economies and dousing energy and food inﬂation. Some of the global forces that were dis- cussed in the scenic tranquillity of Hok- kaido were brewed in G8 countries. The credit squeeze that has gripped ﬁnancial markets and dented global economic prospects was born in the US housing industry, although the toxic credits generated there quickly spread to ﬁnancial institutions worldwide.

Some had their origins outside the G8. The leap in oil prices has many causes, but a surge in demand from China and India—countries not in the G8, but with a potent claim to be—is arguably the single largest factor. Few can pin down the exact reasons for skyrocketing food prices, which are provoking inﬂation, not to mention riots, around the world. Beyond the global tilt in demand and supply, the impact of ethanol production and the exodus of money from ﬁnancial instruments to the ‘‘safety’’ of com- modities appear to be part of the explanation ‘‘Further declines in housing prices in the US and greater strains in the ﬁnan- cial markets may adversely aﬀect the global outlook’’, ﬁnance ministers con- cluded in June in Osaka. In the very next sentence of their communique ´ prices, especially of oil and food, pose a serious challenge to stable growth world wide … and may increase global inﬂationary pressure’’. Similarly, energy ministers were also being torn in diﬀer- ent directions. They talked of the need to lower short-term oil prices by encouraging producers to open the taps and provide clearer information to markets.

But they also said it was wrong to distort pricing signals that would force necessary improvements in energy eﬃciency. One of Japan’s jobs as host was to pro- vide a forum in which these complex and often contradictory issues could be sensibly discussed. As far back as 2000, when Japan hosted the G8 in Okinawa, it recognised the growing connectedness of the world by initiating the outreach format, on that occasion inviting lead- ers from Africa to discuss a global response to infectious diseases, particu- larly Aids. Eight years on, the G8 outreached and interconnected to such an extent that it could be criticised for becoming unwieldy and losing the intimacy that the original, elite format was meant to provide. On July 6th there were out- reach sessions with leaders from Alge- ria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania to discuss African development, the second theme after global warming that Japan chose to highlight (see below). One suggestion to deal with the prob- lem came from France’s President Nic- olas Sarkozy who proposed expanding the organisation to 14 or 15 members.

Not only should China and India, the world’s two biggest emerging econo- mies, be invited into the club, the French president said, but Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, an Arabic coun- try and possibly another African nation should be thrown in for good measure. He argued that the G8 was already changing the way it worked. The 2009 meeting on an Italian island would include a full day of ‘‘outreach’’ talks in a G13 format. Did it not make sense Continental Developments17874 – Africa Research Bulletin ABC G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit �ｿｽ@The Group of Eight (G8) Summit is an annual meeting attended by the leaders of the eight countries, namely, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the President of the European Commission. "Summit" in the strict sense means a leaders' meeting, but it usually refers to a series of meetings which include those of foreign ministers and finance ministers that are held prior to the leaders' meeting. The host country of the Summit holds the G8 presidency for the entire calendar year.

The Presidency carries out preparatory meetings and prepares for the Summit meeting, Foreign Ministers' meeting and Finance Ministers' meeting. Furthermore, the Presidency may call for emergency meetings as necessary in light of international situations at a given time. In the past, Japan has assumed the G8 Presidency for four times, namely, in 1979, 1986, 1993, and 2000. In 2008, Japan will assume the Presidency for the fifth time and will hold the Summit in Hokkaido Toyako. 3rd Day of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit On the final day of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda continued discussions with the G8 leaders. G8 Facts for Kids | KidzSearch.com President Barack Obama The Group of Eight (G8) is a group made up of Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Russia (suspended), the United Kingdom and the United States . The European Commission is also represented in the committee . The group has conferences or meetings throughout the year, it researches policies , and has a summit meeting once a year.

The heads of government of each G8 country attend the summit meeting. Each year a different country takes over the presidency of the group for the duration of the year. The country that holds the presidency sets the agenda for the year and hosts the summit for that year. David Cameron , the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has indicated that the organization's official 2014 summit will not be held, which was previously planned to take place in Russia. [1] As of March 24, 2014, all seven member nations voted to suspend Russia from the G-8. [2] [3] As of March 2014, The G8 will be called G7 since there are now seven leaders. Contents 3 Other websites Overview The G8 is not considered an international organization because it does not have administrative structure. This means that besides the president, there are no official titles for the members, they are all considered equal. Their meetings are not formal. The goal is to talk about global topics and problems in a relaxed manner. There are many global problems and issues that can be discussed at meetings.

Some common topics of discussion include: health , law enforcement , labor , economic and social development, energy , environment , foreign affairs , justice , terrorism , and trade . Yearly summit The annual meeting of G8 leaders is attended by the heads of government [4] and other invited guests. It is usually held for three days in the middle of the year. Each year one of the G8 countries is considered the G8 president. The country of the G8 presidency is responsible for organizing and hosting a summit during that year. The first summit meeting was held in November of 1975 in France. [5] Date G8 Countries - Dictionary definition of G8 Countries | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary G8 Countries International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences COPYRIGHT 2008 Thomson Gale BIBLIOGRAPHY The Group of Eight (G8) is an annual meeting of the leaders of the world’s major industrial states. The purpose of the G8 is to have world leaders meet informally on economic and political issues facing their individual countries and the international community as a whole.

Initially proposed by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing of France and Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of Germany , the first summit, held at Rambouillet, France, in November 1975, included only six countries: France, the United States , Britain , Germany, Japan , and Italy. The impetus of the meeting was to discuss the oil crisis. In 1976 President Gerald R. Ford called for a second summit, which initiated the annual nature of the meetings and established it as an institution. When Canada joined the group in 1976 it became known as the G7. From 1976 to 1990 the G7 met annually; sometimes on the eve of the summit it included fifteen developing countries as in the 1989 Paris summit. Russia became part of the post-summit discussions from 1991 to 1994. These meetings are sometimes referred to as the P8 or Political Eight. Russia had partial membership as it was excluded from financial and other economic discussions. Russia obtained full membership in 1998 and in doing so, the G8 was born.

There is an additional member of both the G7 and G8: the European Union . The chair and location of the G8 are selected in a rotating manner starting with France, the United States, the United Kingdom , Russia (as of 2006), Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada. The position of chair is held for one full calendar year. The host country proposes the summit location and agenda and organizes preparatory meetings. Despite the lack of formal structure, the G8 has had an effect on the world. A significant change to international organizations resulted from the 1995 Halifax, Canada, summit, where leaders agreed to amend the rules and procedures of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The agenda for the summits change from year to year and focus on the most pressing economic and social issues. During the Okinawa, Japan, meeting in 2000 the G8 agreed to provide further funding to fight infectious disease. The meeting also focused on issues regarding information and communications technology. The 2001 Geneva, Switzerland , meeting created the Global Fund to fight infectious diseases such as AIDS , tuberculosis, and malaria.

Because of the cooperation and dialogue of the world’s leaders accomplished through the G8, it has also attracted the attention of protestors. Probably the largest and most violent meeting was held in Genoa , Italy, in 2001, where an anti-capitalist protestor was shot and killed while hundreds of others were injured during a clash with police. In subsequent years the G8 has tried to open discussions with nongovernmental organizations and include other developing nations. The G8 meeting hosted by Britain in Perthshire, Scotland , was interrupted by terrorist attacks on London’s transit system on July 7, 2005. Tony Blair, the host of the meeting, left for a brief time to visit London while the other leaders remained to continue the discussion and agenda that was set. The issue of global terrorism has been on the agenda most years since 1978. G8 Information Centre. University of Toronto. . Lydia A. Miljan Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA).

Within the “Cite this article” tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Therefore, it’s best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publication’s requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: Modern Language Association BBC News - Profile: G8 Profile: G8 Leaders of G8 countries aim to: Boost cooperation over trade and finance Strengthen the global economy With no headquarters, budget or permanent staff, the Group of Eight is an informal but exclusive body whose members set out to tackle global challenges through discussion and action. The G8 comprises seven of the world's leading industrialised nations, and Russia. The leaders of these countries meet face-to-face at an annual summit that has become a focus of media attention and protest action. The G8's roots lie in the oil crisis and global economic recession of the early 1970s.

In 1973, these challenges prompted the US to form the Library Group - an informal gathering of senior financial officials from Europe, Japan and the US. OVERVIEW OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | ISSUES At the instigation of the French, the 1975 meeting drew in heads of government. The delegates agreed to meet annually. The six nations involved became known as the G6, and later the G7 and G8 after the respective entries of Canada (1976) and Russia (1998). G8 PRESIDENCY 2010: Canada (Muskoka summit) 2011: France (Deauville summit) Though the G8 was set up as a forum for economic and trade matters, politics crept onto the agenda in the late 1970s. Recent summits have considered the developing world, global security, Middle East peace and reconstruction in Iraq. G8 members can agree on policies and can set objectives, but compliance with these is voluntary. The G8 has clout in other world bodies because of the economic and political muscle of its members.

The workings of the G8 are a far cry from the "fireside chats" of the Library Group in the 1970s. Holed up behind fortress-like security, the delegates are accompanied by an army of officials. Elaborate preparations are made for their meetings, statements and photo-calls. Nevertheless, G8 leaders strive to keep at least some of their encounters free from bureaucracy and ceremony. On the second day of their summit the leaders gather for an informal retreat, where they can talk without being encumbered by officials or the media. The European Union is represented at the G8 by the president of the European Commission and by the leader of the country that holds the EU presidency. The EU does not take part in G8 political discussions. FACTS OVERVIEW | FACTS | LEADERS | ISSUES The presidency of the G8 rotates between the group's member nations on an annual basis. The country holding the presidency in a given year is responsible for hosting the annual summit and for handling the security arrangements. As the foremost economic and political power in the G8, the US is regarded as the dominant member of the group, although this position is not formally enshrined.

ISSUES Critics of the G8 have accused the body of representing the interests of an elite group of industrialised nations, to the detriment of the needs of the wider world. Street violence overshadowed the 2001 summit in Genoa Important countries with fast-growing economies and large populations, including China and India, are not represented. There are no African or Latin American members. The G8's positive stance on globalisation has provoked a vigorous response from opponents, and riots have sometimes overshadowed summit agendas, most notably in Italy in 2001. Since 2001, there has been a tendency for the summits to be held in more remote locations, with the aim of avoiding mass protests. The lengths to which security forces have gone to shield the politicians from demonstrators has served to reinforce the G8's closed-door image. Within the last decade or so, the G8 has launched drives to counter disease, including HIV/Aids, and has announced development programmes and debt-relief schemes. Aid is often conditional on the respect for democracy and good governance in the recipient countries. Critics say that spending on such initiatives is inadequate.

Basic disagreements sometimes emerge within the G8: Global warming was a sticking point at the 2001 Genoa summit, where US President George W Bush underlined his rejection of the Kyoto treaty on emissions. The subject was revisited at the 2007 Heiligendamm summit, where an agreement among leaders on the need to tackle climate change was hailed as an important step forward. Since 2009, summit talks have focused on finding a common approach to stabilising the world economy and stimulating growth in the face of continuing global financial upheaval. Bookmark with: G8 | Nations Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Council President Mirek Topolánek The Group of Eight (G8, and formerly the G6 or Group of Six) is a forum, created by France in 1975, for governments of eight nations of the northern hemisphere: Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Russia , the United Kingdom , and the United States ; in addition, the European Union is represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair. [1] "G8" can refer to the member states or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government .

The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the six most populous countries within the European Union (see G6 (EU) ). G8 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as the G7/8 finance ministers (who meet four times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers. 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 . The holder of the presidency sets the agenda, hosts the summit for that year, and determines which ministerial meetings will take place. Lately, both France and the United Kingdom have expressed a desire to expand the group to include five developing countries, referred to as the Outreach Five (O5) or the Plus Five: Brazil , China , India , Mexico , and South Africa . These countries have participated as guests in previous meetings, which are sometimes called G8+5 . Recently, France , Germany , and Italy are lobbying to include Egypt to the O5 and expand the G8 to G14.

[2] Contents Edit The concept of a forum for the world's major industrialized democracies emerged following the 1973 oil crisis and subsequent global recession . In 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 France . In 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 . The six leaders agreed to an annual meeting organized under a rotating presidency, forming the Group of Six (G6). The following year, Canada joined the group at the behest of Germany 's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and U.S. President Gerald Ford [3] and the group became the 'Group of Seven' -or G7. The European Union is represented by the President of the European Commission and the leader of the country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union . The President of the European Commission has attended all meetings since it was first invited by the United Kingdom in 1977 [4] and the Council President now also regularly attends.

Following 1994's G7 summit in Naples , Russian officials held separate meetings with leaders of the G7 after the group's summits. This informal arrangement was dubbed the Political 8 (P8) - or, colloquially, the G7+1. At the invitation of United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President Bill Clinton [5] , Russia formally joined the group in 1997, resulting in the Group of Eight, or G8. Structure and activities File:33rdG8Leaders.jpg The G8 is intended to be an informal forum, and it therefore lacks an administrative structure like those for international organizations, such as the United Nations or the World Bank . The group does not have a permanent secretariat, or offices for its members. In 2008, the president of the European Union Commission participated as an equal in all summit events. The presidency of the group rotates annually among the member countries, with each new term beginning on 1 January of the year. The country holding the presidency is responsible for planning and hosting a series of ministerial-level meetings, leading up to a mid-year summit attended by the heads of government.

Japan held the G8 presidency in 2008, Italy is the 2009 president, and Canada will be president in 2010. The ministerial meetings bring together ministers responsible for various portfolios to 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 . [6] The G8 officials also agreed to pool data on terrorism , subject to restrictions by privacy and security laws in individual countries.

[7] Global warming and energy Main article: International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation At the Heiligendamm Summit in 2007, the G8 acknowledged a proposal from the EU for a worldwide initiative on energy efficiency. They agreed to explore, along with the International Energy Agency , the most effective means to promote energy efficiency internationally. A year later, on 8 June 2008, the G8 along with China , India , South Korea and the European Community established the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation , at the Energy Ministerial meeting hosted by Japan holding 2008 G8 Presidency, in Aomori . [8] G8 Finance Ministers, whilst in preparation for the 34th Summit of the G8 Heads of State and Government in Toyako, Hokkaido , met on the 13 and 14 June 2008, in Osaka, Japan .

They agreed to the “G8 Action Plan for Climate Change to Enhance the Engagement of Private and Public Financial Institutions.” In closing, Ministers supported the launch of new Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) by the World Bank , which will help existing efforts until a new framework under the UNFCCC is implemented after 2012. [9] The Annual Summit File:34th G8 summit member 20080707.jpg The annual G8 leaders summit is attended by eight of the world's most powerful heads of government. However, as noted by commentators the G-8 summit is not the place to flesh out the details of any difficult or controversial policy issue in the context of a three-day event. Rather, the meeting is to bring a range of complex and sometimes inter-related issues. The G8 summit brings leaders together not so they can dream up quick fixes, but to talk and think about them together. [10] The G8 summit is an international event which is observed and reported by news media, but the G8's relevance is unclear.

[11] The member country holding the G8 presidency is responsible for organising and hosting the year's summit, held for three days in mid-year; and for this reason, Tony Blair and the United Kingdom accumulated the lion's share of the credit for what went right (and wrong) at Gleneagles in 2005. Similarly, Yasuo Fukuda and Japan hope to garner the greater part of the credit for what went well (and what did not) at the Hokkaido Summit in 2008. Each of the 34 G8 summit meetings could have been called a success if the events had been re-framed as venues to generate additional momentum for solving problems at the other multilateral conferences that meet throughout the year. The G8 summit sets the stage for what needs to be done and establishes an idea of how to do it, even if that idea is, at best, rough and patchy. [10] The summits have also been the site of numerous, large-scale anti-globalization protests. Date Edit Seven of the nine leading export countries are in the G8 [14] (Germany, US, Japan, France, Italy, UK, Canada).

The UK, the USA, Canada, France, and Germany have nominal per capita GDP over US$40,000 dollars. [15] Five of the seven largest stock exchanges by market value are in G8 countries [16] (US, Japan, UK, France, Canada). The G8 countries represent 7 of the 9 largest economies by nominal GDP [17] (Russia isn't one of the 9 largest economies by nominal GDP but has the 7th largest real GDP; Canada was 8th in 2006 but in 2007 it lost 8th place to Spain, as it did in 2003, [17] prompting the previous government headed by José María Aznar to request Spain's entrance in the G8). The 2nd and 3rd largest oil producers (USA and Russia) and the country with the 2nd largest reserves (Canada) are in the G8. [18] Seven of the nine largest nuclear energy producers are in the G8 [19] (USA, France, Japan, Russia, Germany, Canada, UK).

The 7 largest donors to the UN budget are in the G8 [20] (US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Canada). Cumulative influence of member nations Edit Together the eight countries making up the G8 represent about 14% of the world population , but they represent about 65% of the Gross World Product [21] as measured by gross domestic product , being all 8 nations within the top 12 countries according to the CIA World Factbook . (see the CIA World Factbook column in List of countries by GDP (nominal) ), the majority of global military power (seven are in the top 8 nations for military expenditure [22] ), and almost all of the world's active nuclear weapons . [23] In 2007, the combined G8 military spending was US$850 billion. This is 72% of the world's total military expenditures. (see List of countries and federations by military expenditures ) Four of the G8 members United Kingdom , United States of America , France and Russia together account for 96-99% of the world's nuclear weapons.

(see List of states with nuclear weapons ) Criticism and demonstrations File:Genova-G8 2001-Incidenti a Corso Torino.jpg As the annual summits are extremely high profile, they are subject to extensive lobbying by advocacy groups and street demonstrations by activists. The best-known criticisms centre on the assertion that members of G8 are responsible for global issues such as poverty in Africa and developing countries due to debt and trading policy, global warming due to carbon dioxide emission, the AIDS problem due to strict medicine patent policy and other issues related to globalization . During the 31st G8 summit in Scotland, 225,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh as part of the Make Poverty History campaign calling for Trade Justice, Debt Relief and Better Aid. Numerous other demonstrations also took place challenging the legitimacy of the G8. [24] Of the anti-globalization movement protests, one of the largest and most violent occurred for the 27th G8 summit [15] .

Since that G8 Summit and the subsequent September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States occurred months apart in the same year, the G8 have gathered at some forms of remote locations every year since then. The 7 July 2005 London bombings were timed to coincide with the 31st G8 summit in Scotland . The group has also been criticized for its membership, which critics argue has now become unrepresentative of the world's most powerful economies since Canada was overtaken by China , India , Brazil , Spain , Mexico and South Korea by PPP adjusted GDP. [25] Furthermore, Russia was allowed into the group despite only being in 11th place in terms of nominal GDP . See also The Countries That Make Up the G8 The Countries That Make Up the G8 The Countries That Make Up the G8 The summit brings together world leaders for annual talks By Matt Rosenberg Updated August 02, 2016. The G8, or Group of Eight, is a slightly outdated name for the annual meeting of the top global economic powers.

Conceived in 1973 as a forum for world leaders, the G8 has, for the most part been replaced by the G20 forum since about 2008. Its eight members included the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom. But in 2013, the other members voted to oust Russia from the G8, in response to the Russian invasion of Crimea. The G8 summit (more accurately called the G7 since Russia's removal), has no legal or political authority, but the topics it chooses to focus on can have an impact on world economies. The group's president changes annually, and the meeting is held in the home country of that year's leader. Origins of the G8 Originally, the group was comprised of six original countries, with Canada added in 1976 and Russia in 1997. The first official summit was held in France in 1975, but a smaller, more informal group met in Washington, D.C two years earlier. Informally dubbed the Library Group, this meeting was convened by U.S.

Treasury Secretary George Shultz, who invited finance ministers from Germany, the UK and France to meet at the White House, with the looming Middle East oil crisis a topic of serious concern. In addition to a meeting of the countries' leaders, the G8 summit typically includes a series of planning and pre-summit discussions ahead of the main event. These so-called ministerial meetings include secretaries and ministers from each member country's government, to discuss the topics of focus for the summit. There was also a related set of meetings called the G8 +5, which was first held during the 2005 summit in Scotland. It included the so-called Group of Five countries: Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. This meeting set the basis for what eventually became the G20. Including Other Nations in the G20 In 1999, in an effort to include developing countries and their economic concerns in the conversation about global issues, the G20 was formed. In addition to the eight original industrialized countries of the G8, the G20 added Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the European Union.

The insights of the developing nations proved critical during the economic crisis of 2008, which the G8 leaders were largely unprepared for. At the G20 meeting that year, the leaders pointed out the roots of the problem were largely due to a lack of regulation in the US. financial markets. This indicated a shift in power and possible lessening of the influence of the G8. Future Relevance of the G8 In recent years, some have questioned whether the G8 continues to be useful or relevant, especially since the formation of the G20. Despite the fact it has no actual authority, critics believe the powerful members of the G8 organization could do more to address global problems that affect third world countries G7 and G20 | Global Network Global Network News G7 and G20 The G7 and G20 summits are annual forums for heads of state to discuss global foreign policy issues. Global health issues—including neglected tropical disease (NTD) control and elimination—are often a topic of discussion among member countries, particularly those of the G7, also known as the Group of Seven.

The Global Network, along with its partners, is working to increase awareness of NTDs among G7 and G20 leaders by participating in several advocacy forums, including G7 and G20 civil society working groups and various global health conferences, and publishing policy papers that highlight the impact of NTDs on the global agenda. G7/8 Summits The G7 Summit is an annual forum, where the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan the United Kingdom and the United States gather together to weigh in on global, economic, political and social issues of mutual interest. From 1998 through 2014, Russia was also included in the annual forum, making it the G8 or Group of Eight. The most recent G7 Summit, held in 2015 at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, Germany, included neglected tropical diseases as one of the group’s top development agenda items. The global NTD community rallied together to write the first-ever Open Letter to G7 Heads of State on Neglected Tropical Diseases , calling for urgent and concrete action to fight NTDs.

The Leaders’ Declaration included the clear commitment to “invest in the prevention and control of NTDs in order to achieve 2020 elimination goals” through research and development, disease mapping, and community-based health systems strengthening. To read more about the 2015 G7 Declaration, please see the Global Network’s statement, “ Celebrating a Victory: The G7 Commitment to Fight against NTDs .” The G7 has a history of commitments to end NTDs. You can find the full list of commitments from 1998 to the present day listed here. During the 1997 Denver Summit, former Prime Minister of Japan Ryutaro Hashimoto introduced the Global Parasite Control Initiative. The landmark Hashimoto Initiative was formally established the following year during the 1998 Birmingham Summit, elevating the importance of parasitic disease control as a vital component of improving global health. Russia hosted the 2006 St. Petersburg G8 Summit, and was the first to make infectious diseases, including NTDs, a priority agenda item of the G8.

In 2008, the Hokkaido-Toyako Summit in Japan marked another milestone, when G8 leaders committed to reach at least 75 percent of people affected by certain major NTDs with sustained action for three to five years through mass drug administration and through integrated measures that enhance access to safe water and proper sanitation. While G8 leaders did not discuss NTDs at the 2013 G8 summit, the 2013 G8 Accountability Report outlined previous commitments to increase funding for NTD research and development and the efforts made to date. Additionally, the UK government and other partners held the ‘Nutrition for Growth’ event on the sidelines of the Summit, which resulted in the mobilization of $4.15 billion to improve nutrition. At the event, GlaxoSmithKline highlighted the important link between NTDs and malnutrition in the 2013 Global Nutrition for Growth Compact . To read more about the 2013 G8 summit, please see “ NTDs and the G8: The 2013 Summit in Review ,” posted on End the Neglect.

The 2016 G7 Summit will be held in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Japan has a laudable history of addressing NTDs, particularly at G7 and G8 summits. Following World War II, the Japanese government led a campaign to control five NTDs, eliminating them as a domestic public health threat within one decade. The country then applied its experience to global health. The Japanese Prime Minister introduced the Hashimoto Initiative for Global Parasite Control at the 1997 G7 summit, the first initiative of its kind. Japan also led the way for the 2000 Okinawa Infectious Disease Initiative and the 2008 Tokyo Framework for Action on Global Health while hosting the 2000 and 2008 G8 summits. G20 Summits Since 1999, the G20 has brought together heads of state and finance ministers of the world’s leading 20 economies, and as such, preparatory discussions and annual summits have historically focused on economic and financial topics.

While G20 leaders have not directly addressed global health challenges or NTDs, the 2009 G20 Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth recognized the links between development and global economic challenges, with a commitment to “promote balanced and sustainable economic development in order to narrow development imbalances and reduce poverty.” Leaders also recognized their responsibility to invest in people by providing healthcare, education and fighting poverty. G20 leaders advanced discussions further at the June 2010 G20 Toronto Summit, resulting in an agreement to establish a Development Working Group with the recognition that “Narrowing the development gap and reducing poverty are integral to our broader objective of achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth and ensuring a more robust and resilient global economy for all.” Later that year, leaders agreed to 2010 Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth along with the accompanying Multi-Year Action Plan on Development . Nine key principles were identified that can act as barriers to inclusive and sustainable growth in developing countries, including: infrastructure, human resource development, trade, private investment and job creation, food security, resilient growth, financial inclusion, domestic resource mobilization and knowledge sharing.

Since then, the G20 has issued regular accountability and progress reports from the G20 Development Working Group. In advance of the 2013 G20 St. Petersburg Summit, the Global Network published its 2013 G20 Call to Action , calling attention to how NTDs serve as a barrier to the G20’s efforts to realize sustainable development outcomes. Although no concrete actions were taken to tackle global health and NTDs, the resulting St. Petersburg Development Outlook does highlight the importance of achieving food security, financial inclusion and human resource development, all of which are directly impacted by NTDs. The St. Petersburg Accountability Report on G20 Development Commitments called attention to the unique value that the G20 can collectively play in improving development outcomes, with the convening power of 19 leading economies and the EU and accounting for about 90 percent of global GDP.

Question: Where was the annual G8 leaders summit held in the year 2000?
Answer: Japan