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GG--88

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EstablishmentEstablishment 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 seniorfinancial officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Japanand Poland

1975 French President ValryGiscard d'Estainginvited the heads of governmentfrom West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to asummit in Rambouillet - Group of Six (G6)

1976 Canada joined the group at the behest of U.S group became known as theGroup 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 EuropeanUnion - 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)

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Member CountriesMember Countries

France,Germany,Italy,Great Britain,Japan,United States,Canada,& Russia

The EU is a ninth member

Leaders from other countries are invited to thesummit, but they are not participants

The G8, unlike the United Nations, is not anorganization or institution, and there is no formalcharter or secretariat.

Each calendar year, the responsibility of hostingthe G8 rotates through the member states in thefollowing order: France, United States, UnitedKingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, andCanada.

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ContdContd

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 stillit 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

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ObjectivesObjectives

Africa

Climate change

Counter terrorism

Non proliferation

Supporting reform in the broader Middle East and NorthAfrica

Global energy security

Infectious diseases

Education

Growth and responsibility in the global economy

Growth and responsibility in Africa

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ContdContd

The ministerial meetings discuss issues of mutual or globalconcern. 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 isattended by finance and energy ministers from all eight membercountries 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 onpedophiles. The G8 officials also agreed to pool data onterrorism, subject to restrictions by privacy and security laws inindividual countries.

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Work DoneWork Done

Prior to the start of the summit ,a coalition of groups,including Greenpeace, Water Aid and End WaterPoverty, issued a call to G8 leaders who , thus, tackledglobal 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 towardsuniversal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment,

care and support by 2010, with particular focus onprevention and integration of services for HIV/TB. "

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ContdContd

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.

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G8 are largestG8 are largest

donorsdonors

keeping tokeeping to

their resourcetheir resourcecommitmentscommitments

is vital foris vital for

achievingachievingMDGsMDGs

ODA in 2006 $ millions:

G8 count ies provide most aid

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000

United States

United Kingdom

Japan

France

Germany

Net

erlands

Sweden

Spain

Canada

Italy

Norway

Denmark

Australia

Belgium

Switzerland

Austria

Ireland

Finland

Portugal

Greece

Luxembourg

New Zealand

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Remarkable DecisionsRemarkable 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 amongindustrialized nations, by 2050.

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SummitsSummits

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