G8 the Final Report

8/8/2019 G8 the Final Report

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MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS

Project Report on

G8

Group Members:

Anand Vaidya

Shreya Shukla

Ganesh Sawant

Vishal Jadhav

INDEX


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1) Acknowledgement

2) What is G8

3) History

4) Structure & Activities5) Annual Summit

6) Facts and Leaders

7) Criticisms and Demonstrations

What is the G8?


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Since 1975, the heads of state or government of the major industrial democracies

have been meeting annually to deal with the major economic and political issues

facing their domestic societies and the international community as a whole. The six

countries at the first summit, held at Rambouillet, France, in November 1975, were

France, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and Italy (sometimes referred to

as the G6). They were joined by Canada at the San Juan Summit of 1976 in Puerto

Rico, and by the European Community at the London Summit of 1977. From then

on, membership in the Group of Seven, or G7, was fixed, although 15 developing

countries' leaders met with the G7 leaders on the eve of the 1989 Paris Summit,

and the USSR and then Russia participated in a post-summit dialogue with the G7

since 1991. Starting with the 1994 Naples Summit, the G7 met with Russia at each

summit (referred to as the P8 or Political Eight). The Denver Summit of the Eight

was a milestone, marking full Russian participation in all but financial and certain

economic discussions; and the 1998 Birmingham Summit saw full Russian

participation, giving birth to the Group of Eight, or G8 (although the G7 continuedto function along side the formal summits). At the Kananaskis Summit in Canada

in 2002, it was announced that Russia would host the G8 Summit in 2006, thus

completing its process of becoming a full member.

The G7/8 Summit has consistently dealt with macroeconomic management,

international trade, and relations with developing countries. Questions of East-

West economic relations, energy, and terrorism have also been of recurrent

concern. From this initial foundation the summit agenda has broadenedconsiderably to include microeconomic issues such as employment and the

information highway, transnational issues such as the environment, crime and

drugs, and a host of political-security issues ranging from human rights through

regional security to arms control.

The responsibility of host rotates throughout the summit cycle at the end of the

calendar year, as follows: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia (as of

2006), Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. Throughout the year, the leaders'

personal representatives known as sherpas meet regularly to discuss the agenda

and monitor progress.


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In addition, the G7/8 has developed a network of supporting ministerial meetings,

which allow ministers to meet regularly throughout the year in order to continue

the work set out at each summit; these include the meetings of the finance

ministers, foreign ministers and environment ministers, among others. G7/8

ministers and officials also meet on an ad hoc basis to deal with pressing issues,

such a terrorism, energy, and development; from time to time the leaders also

create task forces or working groups to focus intensively on certain issues of

concern, such as a drug-related money laundering, nuclear safety, and transnational

organized crime.

The G7/8 provides an important occasion for busy leaders to discuss major, often

complex international issues, and to develop the personal relations that help them

respond in effective collective fashion to sudden crises or shocks. The summit alsogives direction to the international community by setting priorities, defining new

issues and providing guidance to established international organizations. At times

it arrives at decisions that address pressing problems or shape international order

more generally.

The summit members comply modestly with the decisions and consensus

generated by and codified at their annual meeting. Compliance is particularly high

in regard to agreements on international trade and energy, and on the part ofBritain, Canada, and Germany. Summit decisions often create and build

international regimes to deal with new international challenges, and catalyze,

revitalize and reform existing international institutions.

In recognition of its centrality in the process of global governance, the summit has

always attracted the attention of thousands of journalists at each leaders meeting,

and of a number of countries seeking admittance to this exclusive and powerful

club. It has also become a prime occasion for non-governmental and civil societyorganizations to advocate on behalf of their concerns. The annual meeting has been

an opportunity for anti-globalization demonstrations since the Birmingham

Summit in 1998; the protests turned violent in 2001 at the Genoa Summit, resulting

in the death of a protestor.
http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/meetings.htmlhttp://www.g8.utoronto.ca/meetings-official.htmlhttp://www.g8.utoronto.ca/meetings-official.htmlhttp://www.g8.utoronto.ca/meetings.html


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What does the G stand for?

Group!

The G8 is short for "Group of Eight," just as G7 is short for "Group of Seven," and

G20 is short for "Group of 20." The eight members of the G8 are, in order of their

rotating hosting responsibilities:

France

United States

United Kingdom

Russia (as of 2006)

Germany

JapanItaly

Canada

The G7 consists of the same members without Russia. When the group meets "at

seven," that means Russia was not an active participant.

There is a ninth member of both the G7 and G8: the European Union. At the

leaders' level, the EU is represented by the president of the European Commission

and the president of the European Council.

The Group of Eight (G8, and formerly the G6 or Group of Six and also

the G7 orGroup of Seven) is a forum, created by France in 1975, for governments

of six countries in the world: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom,

and the United States. In 1976, Canada joined the group (thus creating the G7). In

becoming the G8, the group added Russia in 1997. In addition, the European is

represented within the G8, but cannot host or chair.

"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. 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_meetinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heads_of_governmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G6_(EU)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G6_(EU)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_meetinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heads_of_governmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G6_(EU)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G6_(EU)


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History

The concept of a forum for the world's major industrialized democracies emerged

following the 1973 oil crisis. In 1974, a series of meetings in the library of

the White House in Washington, D.C. was known as the "Library Group. This

was an informal gathering of senior financial officials from the United States, the

United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan and France. In 1975, French President

Valery invited the government from West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United

Kingdom and the United States to a summit in Chteau de 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 ChancellorHelmut Schmidt and U.S. PresidentGerald

Ford and the group became the Group of Seven (G7). The European Union is

represented by the President 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

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 ofPrime

Minister of the United KingdomTony Blairand President Bill Clinton, Russia

formally joined the group in 1997, resulting in the Group of Eight, or G8.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Rambouillethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmut_Schmidthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Fordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Fordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_the_Council_of_the_European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_the_Council_of_the_European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Commissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Commissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Councilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_G7_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blairhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clintonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_de_Rambouillethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmut_Schmidthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Fordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Fordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_the_Council_of_the_European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_the_Council_of_the_European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Commissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Commissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Councilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_G7_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blairhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton


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Structure and activities

By design, the G8 deliberately 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.

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.

The president of the European Commission participates as an equal in all summit

events.

The ministerial meetings bring together ministers responsible for various portfolios

to discuss issues of mutual or global concern. The range of topics includes health,

law enforcement, labor, economic and social development, energy, environment,

foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism, and trade. There are also a separateset 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" which are also

known as the Group of Five 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 onpedophiles. The G8 officials also agreed to

pool data on terrorism, subject to restrictions by privacy and security laws in

individual countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8%2B5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleneagleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_Fivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Republic_of_Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexicohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8%2B5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleneagleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_Fivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Republic_of_Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexicohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedophilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism


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Annual summit

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 thecontext 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.

The G8 summit is an international event which is observed and reported by news

media, but the G8's relevance is unclear. The member country holding the G8

presidency is responsible for organizing 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 36 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 annual 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. The serial annual

summits can be parsed chronologically in arguably distinct ways, including as the

sequence of host countries for the summits has recurred over time, series, etc.


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DATEHOST

COUNTRY

HOST

LEADER

LOCATION

HELDNOTES

32nd July 1517,2006

Russia VladimirPutin

Strelna, St.Petersburg

First G8 Summit on Russian soil. Also,

theInternational Atomic Energy

Agency andUNESCOmade their debut here.

33rdJune 68,

2007Germany

Angela

Merkel

Heiligendamm,Mecklenburg-

Vorpommern

Seven different international organizations

accepted their invitations to this Summit. TheOrganization for Economic Co-operation and

Development and theCommonwealth of

Independent States made their debut here.

34th July 79,2008 Japan YasuoFukuda Toyako (LakeToya),Hokkaido

Nations that accepted their G8 Summit

invitations for the first timeare:Australia, Indonesia and South.

35thJuly 810,

2009Italy

Silvio

BerlusconiL'Aquila,Abruzzo

This G8 Summit was originally planned to be

inLa Maddalena(Sardinia), but was moved to

L'Aquila as a way of showing Prime Minister

Berlusconi's desire to help the region in andaround L'Aquila after the earthquake that hit the

area on the April 6th, 2009. Nations thataccepted their invitations for the first time were:

Angola,Denmark, Netherlands andSpain. A

record of TEN (10) international organizations

was represented in this G8 Summit. For the first

time, the Food, theInternational Fund for

Agricultural Development, the World, and the

Organization accepted their invitations.

36thJune 25

26, 2010Canada

Stephen

HarperHuntsville, Ontario

Final G8 Summit to be held in current format, before the economies Summit becomes main

annual international economic forum in the same

manner as previous G8

Summits.Malawi, Colombia,Haiti,

and Jamaica accepted their invitations for the

first time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32nd_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCOhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCOhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCOhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33rd_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiligendammhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg-Vorpommernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg-Vorpommernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/34th_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuo_Fukudahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuo_Fukudahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dyako,_Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dyako,_Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dyako,_Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35th_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'Aquilahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'Aquilahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abruzzohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abruzzohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Maddalenahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Maddalenahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardiniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fund_for_Agricultural_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fund_for_Agricultural_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fund_for_Agricultural_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36th_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsville,_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaicahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32nd_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCOhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33rd_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiligendammhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg-Vorpommernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecklenburg-Vorpommernhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/34th_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuo_Fukudahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuo_Fukudahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dyako,_Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dyako,_Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaid%C5%8Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35th_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'Aquilahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abruzzohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Maddalenahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardiniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fund_for_Agricultural_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fund_for_Agricultural_Developmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36th_G8_summithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Harperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsville,_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica


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FACTS

Founded: 1975, Rambouillet, France

Original members: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, US

Later members: Canada (joined at 1976 summit, San Juan, Puerto Rico),

Russia (joined at 1998 summit, Birmingham, UK)

LEADERS

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 thedominant member of the group, although this position is not formally enshrined.

Leaders of G8 countries aim to:

Boost cooperation over trade and finance

Strengthen the global economy

Promote peace and democracy

Prevent and resolve conflicts


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Criticism and demonstrations

20 July 2001, 27th G8 summit in Genoa, Italy: Protesters burn a police vehicle

which was abandoned by police during a clash with protesters.

As the annual summits are extremely high profile, they are subject to extensive

lobbying by advocacy groups and street demonstrations by activists.

The most widespread criticisms centre on the assertion that members of G8 are

responsible for global problems such as poverty in Africa and developing countries

- through debt and trade policy; global warming - due to carbon dioxide emissions;

and the AIDS problem - due to strict medicine patent policy and other issues

related to globalization. During the 31st G8 summit in United Kingdom, 225,000people 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.

One of the largest and most violent anti-globalization movement protests occurred

for the 27th G8 summit. Following those events and the September 11 attacks two

months later in 2001, the G8 have met at more remote locations. The 7 July 2005

London bombings were timed to coincide with the 31st G8 summit in United

Kingdom.

The group has also been criticized for its membership, which critics argue has now

become unrepresentative of the world's most powerful economies. In particular,

China has recently surpassed every economy except the United States. Canada has

been in recent years overtaken by Brazil, Russia and Spain by nominal GDP.

Timothy Geithner, the US Treasury Secretary, has said: "We are committed to

reforming the international system and our interests are best served by giving

China a stake in the process. We would like to build with China the kind of

relationship we had with the G-7."

According to the mingle trend survey, 51% of Britons think the G8 summit is no

longer an appropriate way of making world decisions.

G8 the Final Report

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