|
|
||
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.[
French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing issues the opening statementduring the joint press conference of the economic summit, inRambouillet, France on November 17, 1975. (L-R) Italian Premier AldoMoro, British Prime Minster Harold Wilson; President Ford, PresidentGiscard D’ Estaing, West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and JapanesePremier Takeo Miki.
Originally, this group was made up of six (Canada joined in 1976 andRussia, officially, in 1997) and the idea behind it sprung from the oilcrisis and subsequent worldwide recession of 1973. The nations wantedan informal forum to coordinate their macroeconomic policies during thedownturn, in addition to formulating a common strategy in dealing withthe developing world, which had become less and less dependent on them.
As for the official business at hand, the 2009 G-8 is expected to bedominated by discussion over a new form of world governance in light ofthe global downturn. What’s more, there’s talk of the need for abetter-structured form of dialogue to deal with the likes of Brazil,China, India, Mexico and South Africa. Recession? Emerging economies?It’s almost as if the annual summit has come full circle from itsbeginnings back in 1975. For the members of the world’s most exclusiveclub, it must seem like déjà vu.
G8 host, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi greets U.S. PresidentBarack Obama on the first day of the three-day conference.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and his team arrive at the summit, held in L’Aquila.
Group of Eight and Group of Five leaders applaud as U.S. President Barack Obama, front, arrives for a group photo.
An aide removes a place marker from beneath the feet of Canadian PrimeMinister Stephen Harper. Waiting beside him are: Japan’s Prime MinisterTaro Aso, President Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy andBerlusconi.
Sarkozy, Medvedev and Berlusconi speak with one another.
Libya’s leader Muammar Qadaffi leaves the final meeting escorted by bodyguards.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel chats with French President NicolasSarkozy from a riser used during the making of the group photo.
Obama and Sarkozy
VIA: Time
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.[
French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing issues the opening statementduring the joint press conference of the economic summit, inRambouillet, France on November 17, 1975. (L-R) Italian Premier AldoMoro, British Prime Minster Harold Wilson; President Ford, PresidentGiscard D’ Estaing, West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and JapanesePremier Takeo Miki.
Originally, this group was made up of six (Canada joined in 1976 andRussia, officially, in 1997) and the idea behind it sprung from the oilcrisis and subsequent worldwide recession of 1973. The nations wantedan informal forum to coordinate their macroeconomic policies during thedownturn, in addition to formulating a common strategy in dealing withthe developing world, which had become less and less dependent on them.
As for the official business at hand, the 2009 G-8 is expected to bedominated by discussion over a new form of world governance in light ofthe global downturn. What’s more, there’s talk of the need for abetter-structured form of dialogue to deal with the likes of Brazil,China, India, Mexico and South Africa. Recession? Emerging economies?It’s almost as if the annual summit has come full circle from itsbeginnings back in 1975. For the members of the world’s most exclusiveclub, it must seem like déjà vu.
G8 host, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi greets U.S. PresidentBarack Obama on the first day of the three-day conference.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and his team arrive at the summit, held in L’Aquila.
Group of Eight and Group of Five leaders applaud as U.S. President Barack Obama, front, arrives for a group photo.
An aide removes a place marker from beneath the feet of Canadian PrimeMinister Stephen Harper. Waiting beside him are: Japan’s Prime MinisterTaro Aso, President Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy andBerlusconi.
Sarkozy, Medvedev and Berlusconi speak with one another.
Libya’s leader Muammar Qadaffi leaves the final meeting escorted by bodyguards.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel chats with French President NicolasSarkozy from a riser used during the making of the group photo.
Obama and Sarkozy
VIA: Time
