June 04: The ‘Great 8’ will meet in Germany from June 6-8, to discuss and chalk out the agenda ‘growth and responsibility’ for the whole world.
Amid concerns like the ‘rebirth’ of cold war, Iranian nuclear fiasco, global warming, Iraq war and African development, the heads of the states of eight highly industrialized countries will meet and try to find out the way out.
The 33rd G8 summit is to take place at Kempinski Grand Hotel in Heiligendamm. Heiligendamm lies in the old Duchy of Mecklenburg, in Northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, on the Baltic Coast. The summit will commence this Wednesday.
The German G8 Presidency is continuing the dialogue based on trust with African partners besides trying to construct a consensus over contemporary international issues.
In present summit individual countries are expected to put forward the plans and initiatives to be undertaken by the respective countries for the overall “growth” particularly that of poor nations and “responsibility” within the leading powers.
US president George Bush is expected to garner support for his “version” of war on terror besides for the missile shield expected to be installed in Europe, which is being vehemently opposed by Russian president. Germany is trying its best to garner support for a world wide initiative to curb global warming.
Shaping globalization and helping Africa to develop will be key focuses of the meeting in Heiligendamm.
Besides G8 members – Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the United States of America, Canada (since 1976) and Russia (since 1998), European Commission is also participating in the summit.
The G8 - an international forum of leading industrial nations - aim to find new answers to global political and global economic problems in dialogue with the big emerging economies. That is why German Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa to take part in the Outreach Meetings. Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Senegal and Ghana (which currently holds the Chair of the African Union) will be represented at "Outreach Africa" in Heiligendamm. Germany is assuming the presidency of the summit for fifth time following on from 1978, 1985, 1992 and 1999.
The G8 is an informal forum of Heads of State and Government. The Group is not an international organisation; it does not have its own administrative structure with a permanent secretariat or office for its individual members.
Even after that Group of Eight (G8) is one of the most important international forums for dealing with global issues. The G8 Presidency plays a very important role due to the organisation's loose structure.
Heads of State and Government of the leading industrial nations met for the first time in Rambouillet, France in 1975 to discuss developments in the global economy. At that time the world's six largest economic powers were represented. This was the founding moment of the world economic summit. Today, G8 summits are still the climax of the annual presidency of each state. The range of issues under discussion now covers the whole spectrum of global politics. Foreign and security policy and development issues are discussed in addition to economic matters. This forum has launched a large number of global initiatives, including the campaign against world poverty.
On June 6 when leaders from the world's major industrialised nations meet on the Baltic coast for a G8 summit, the outcome of previous summits might be lingering over their minds. Their Sherpas might have briefed them about the previous outcomes, which is responsible for the overwhelming support to anti-summit protesters. While taking a look over the past outcomes, some unfulfilled promises and outcomes are prominent.
Here are some details of the last five G8 summits.
CANADA - KANANASKIS - JUNE 2002:
G8 members agreed a $20 billion deal to stop extremist (read anti-west) groups from getting hold of nuclear weapons, notably from stockpiles held in the former Soviet Union.
While putting forward the promise made during previous summit, the leaders drew up a new development package for Africa. The Africa Action Plan was criticised for offering a lot of advice and little cash.
FRANCE - EVIAN - JUNE 2003:
The G8 nations focused on the need to press ahead with structural reforms and greater flexibility in rich economies despite resistance, highlighted by public sector strikes, in host country France.
They sought to draw a line under bitter transatlantic differences over the Iraq conflict, which half the G8 opposed, saying all now agreed the time had come to reconstruct Iraq. The summit was marred by violent demonstrations.
Since then Iraq has plundered into civil war and considerable pressure to move out the US security forces is the priority rather than reconstruction.
UNITED STATES - SEA ISLAND, GEORGIA - JUNE 2004:
The summit agreed to extend a debt relief programme for poor countries, but fell short of demands for a total write-off of loans owed by African nations to multilateral lending agencies.
G8 leaders said they would extend the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative, under which poor states can write off some of their debt, for two years beyond its expiry in December 2004.
They also stressed the need to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict as part of an initiative for political and economic reform in the broader Middle East.
UNITED KINGDOM - GLENEAGLES - JULY 2005:
Leaders of the G8 say they would boost aid spending on Africa. But aid agencies argue there is little new money in the pledge from the summit in Scotland and accused the leaders of delaying the increases.
G8 leaders announced they would double the aid to Africa by 2010, boosting spending by $25 billion a year from then. The total aid for all developing countries will be about $50 billion a year by 2010.
World leaders urged that Global warming, which is one of the main issues during 33rd summit in Germany, requires urgent action, but set no measurable targets. The issue got marred due to the reluctance of USA.
RUSSIA - ST PETERSBURG - JULY 2006:
Group of Eight leaders launched a fresh bid to pin down an elusive global trade pact, seeking a positive outcome to a summit, raven by discord over the Middle East.
A formal agenda of energy security, combating infectious diseases and promoting education held little controversy and required no financial commitment by G8 members.
Russia had to concede to European Union concerns over its conduct in energy markets to get agreement on energy security. But it did not bow to demands to ratify the Energy Charter, an international rulebook for oil and gas market activity.
Assistance to Africa, put at the top of the 2005 summit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair but initially ignored by Russia for the 2006 meeting, also found its way onto the agenda.
Whatever might be the issues, the concerns and outcome; each summit was opposed by the people from most sections of the society. There concern was the hegemony and power enjoyed by the leaders of G8.
Even 33rd summit in Germany attracted thousands of people, who are protesting in favour of poor and developing nations. Besides this the main concern is global warming, which is being sidelined after every summit.
Many meetings among the participants will take place on the sidelines of the Summit but Bush-Putin meeting is what people are waiting for.
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