Current G8 Leaders
G8 countries.  Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper  France President Jacques Chirac  Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel  Italy Prime Minister Romano Prodi  Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi  Russia President Vladimir Putin (chair)  United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair  United States President George W. Bush

The Group of Eight (G8) consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Together, these countries represent about 65% of the world economy [1]. The hallmark of the G8 is an annual economic and political summit meeting of the heads of government with international officials, though there are numerous subsidiary meetings and policy research. Image File history File links Worlmap highlighting countries which belong to the Group of Eight (G8) From de. ... Image File history File links Worlmap highlighting countries which belong to the Group of Eight (G8) From de. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... Stephen Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ... Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932), French politician, is President of the French Republic. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Angela Dorothea Merkel (pronounced //), born in Hamburg, Germany on July 17, 1954 is the current Chancellor of Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... (born 9 August 1939) is a centre-left Italian politician. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ... Junichiro Koizumi , born January 8, 1942) is the current Prime Minister of Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин, Vladímir Vladímirovich Pútin; born October 7, 1952) is a Russian politician, and the current President of the Russian Federation. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and MP for Sedgefield. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ... Buyers bargain for good prices while sellers put forth their best front in Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ...

The Presidency of the group rotates every year. For 2006 it is held by Russia, and a 2006 summit of all G8 leaders will eventually be held in Saint Petersburg from July 15 to July 17 at the Palace of Congresses. The word Presidency is often used to describe the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ...

Background and history

The G8 has its roots in the 1973 oil crisis and subsequent global recession. These troubles led the United States to form the Library Group, a gathering of senior financial officials from the United States, Europe, and Japan, to discuss the economic issues. At the height of the crisis in the United States, drivers of vehicles with odd numbered license plates were allowed to purchase gasoline only on odd-numbered days of the month, while drivers with even-numbers were limited to even-numbered days. ... A recession is usually defined in macroeconomics as a fall of a countrys real Gross Domestic Product in two or more successive quarters of a year. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ...

In 1975, French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing invited the heads of state of six major industralized democracies to a summit in Rambouillet and proposed regular meetings. The participants agreed to an annual meeting organized under a rotating presidency, forming what was dubbed the Group of Six (G6) consisting of France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. At the subsequent annual summit in Puerto Rico, it became the Group of Seven (G7) when Canada joined at the behest of U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1976. The European Union has attended meetings since it was first invited by the United Kingdom in 1977. The President of France, known officially as the President of the Republic (Président de la République in French), is Frances elected Head of State. ... This article needs to be updated. ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... Rambouillet is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ...

Participation of Russia and formation of the G8

G8 work session; July 20-22, 2001.

In 1991, following the end of the Cold War, the USSR (now Russia) began meeting with the G7 after the main summit. This group became known as the P8 (Political 8), or colloquially the "G7 plus 1", starting with the 1994 Naples summit. Russia was allowed to participate more fully beginning in the 1998 Birmingham summit, marking the creation of the Group of Eight. However, Russia was excluded from the meeting for financial ministers as it was not a major economic power; "G7" now refers specifically to this ministerial level meeting. Image File history File links G-8 work session; July 20-22, 2009. ... Image File history File links G-8 work session; July 20-22, 2009. ... The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle that emerged after World War II between the global superpowers of the Soviet Union and the United States, supported by their military alliance partners. ... P8 can refer to many things position 8 in a race P8 pistol, a 9mm German automatic pistol with a 19-round capacity magazine Xerox DocuPrint P8, a multifunction printer from Xerox P8 Urban Catchment Model, Program for Predicting Polluting Particle Passage through Pits, Puddles, & Ponds Period 8 of the...

At the initiative of then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, "Group of Seven" became the "Group of Eight," with Russia attending most sessions. This was a gesture of appreciation from President Clinton to then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin for pursuing economic reforms, and for their neutrality with respect to the eastward expansion of NATO. William Jefferson Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ...

Because of Russia's relative economic (and democratic) instability, there are select G7 sessions on economic affairs in which its government does not participate. On February 18, 2005, U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain called for Russia to be suspended from the G8 until democratic and political freedoms are ensured by Russian President Vladimir Putin. February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Joseph Isadore Lieberman, (born February 24, 1942) is a Democratic U.S. senator from Connecticut, best known as Al Gores running mate on the Democratic ticket in 2000. ... John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is an American politician. ... (Russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин, Vladímir Vladímirovich Pútin; born October 7, 1952) is a Russian politician, and the current President of the Russian Federation. ...

Structure and activities

Official G8 2005 Portrait.

The G8 is not supported by a transnational administration, unlike institutions such as the United Nations or World Bank. The presidency of the Group rotates among the member states annually, with the new president assuming his position on 1 January. The country holding the presidency hosts a series of ministerial-level meetings leading up to a mid-year three-day summit with the heads of government, and is responsible for the safety of the participants. Image File history File linksMetadata 20050708-173. ... Image File history File linksMetadata 20050708-173. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ...

The ministerial meetings bring together ministers in topics such as health, law enforcement, labor, development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism and trade to discuss issues of mutual or global concern. The best known of these is the G-7, which now refers specifically to the annual meeting of the financial ministers of the G-8 minus Russia, as well as officials from the European Community. However, there also is a briefer "G8+5" meeting for the finance ministers of the full G-8, as well as the People's Republic of China, Mexico, India, Brazil, and South Africa. The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...

Under the auspices of G7 a special program for the implementation of the Information Society was established in 1994. The Global Information Society held meetings February 25 to February 26 in 1995 in Brussels and May 13 to May 15 in 1996 in South Africa. February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ...

In June 2005 the G8 Justice and Interior ministers agreed to launch an international database on pedophiles, expected to be set up by the end of the year. Other countries may join later.[2] The G8 also agreed to pool data on terrorism, subject to the restrictions of the various countries' privacy and security laws. [3] Pedophilia, paedophilia, or pædophilia (see spelling differences), is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to pre-pubescent children. ... Terrorism refers to a strategy of using violence, social threats, or coordinated attacks, in order to generate fear, cause disruption, and ultimately, bring about compliance with specified political, religious, or ideological demands. ... The stela of King Hammurabi depicts the god Shamash revealing a code of laws to the king. ...

In June 2005 the national science academies of the G8 nations - and Brazil, the People's Republic of China and India, three of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the developing world, signed a statement on the global response to climate change. The statement stresses that the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action [4], and explicitly endorsed the IPCC consensus. Top: Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels as measured in the atmosphere and ice cores. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years Climate change refers to the variation in the Earths global climate or regional climates over time. ... IPCC is science authority for the UNFCCC The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess the risk of human-induced climate change. The Panel is open to all...

Criticism

Since the agenda of G8 is usually about controversial global issues, critics often refer to the G8 as an unofficial "world government." The annual summits are often the focus of anti-globalization movement protests, notably at the 27th G8 summit in Genoa in 2001. Anti-WEF grafiti in Lausanne. ... Official family picture The 27th G8 summit took place in Genoa, Italy, in July 2001. ... Location within Italy Genoa (Italian Genova, Genoese (dialect of Ligurian) Zena, French Gênes, German Genua, Spanish Génova, Galician Xénova) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. ...

Critics assert that members of G8 are responsible for global issues such as global warming due to carbon dioxide emission, poverty in Africa and developing countries due to debt crisis and unfair trading policy, the AIDS problem due to strict medicine patent policy and other problems that are related to globalization. Global mean surface temperatures 1856 to 2005; this map shows mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming refers to the increases in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades. ... World map showing percentage of people living under national poverty lines. ... Third World debt is external debt incurred by Third World countries. ... Look up Trade in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Trade centers on the exchange of goods and/or services. ... The Red ribbon is a symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with... This article is about the field of medical practice and health care. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or composition of matter (substance) (known as an invention) which is new, inventive, and... The International Monetary Fund defines Globalization (or globalisation) as “the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing volume and variety of cross-border transactions in goods and services, free international capital flows, and more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology”. Meanwhile, The International Forum on Globalization defines it as...

The debate drives discussions on property rights, global economics, international politics, morality and many other aspects. For example, some defenders believe that patent laws are essential property rights that encourage medical discovery to begin with. On the other hand, some critics say that parallel importation is a way out. Some others believe that African poverty is due to the rampant government corruption on that continent while some critics say it is a problem of unfair international trading. Most debate is related to discussions on globalization. This page deals with property as ownership rights. ... International relations (IR) is an academic and public policy field, a branch of political science, dealing with the foreign policy of states within the international system, including the roles of international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ... Morality deals with that which is regarded as right or wrong. ... Parallel importation (also known as participation in the grey market) is an issue of intellectual property and international trade. ...

Pressure has also been put on G8 leaders to take responsibility to combat problems they are criticized of creating. For example, Bob Geldof organized Live 8, global awareness concerts on July 2 and July 6 in 2005, to encourage G8 leaders to "Make Poverty History." Organizers have also proposed that G8 member nations adjust their national budgets to allow for 0.7% to go towards foreign aid as outlined in Agenda 21 of the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992. The concerts were timed to coincide with the 31st G8 summit. Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Xenon Bob Geldof, KBE (born October 5, 1951) is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and political activist. ... Official Live 8 DVD. Released 7th/8th November 2005 Live 8 was a series of benefit concerts that took place in July 2005, in the G8 nations and South Africa. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... The UK campaign A white band bilingual in Welsh and English. ... Budget generally refers to a list of all planned expenses and revenues. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Development aid. ... Official G8 2005 Portrait. ...

Terrorism

Main article: 7 July 2005 London bombings

The opening day of the 2005 G8 Summit in Scotland, 7 July 2005, was accompanied by a synchronized series of bombings in the London Underground and in a London double-decker bus that claimed more than 50 lives and wounded hundreds more. Credit for the attacks was claimed by the "Secret Group of Al Qaeda's Jihad in Europe". The attacks are assumed to be in retaliation for the UK's participation in military action in Afghanistan and Iraq, although terrorism has been perpetrated against western states by Islamic fundamentalists prior to those actions. The global attention focused on the G8 summit was presumably leveraged by the terrorists for maximum symbolic effect. The strike also followed abruptly after the International Olympic Committee announced London as the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of coordinated suicide bombings that struck Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The nickname the Tube comes from the circular tube-like tunnels through which the small-profile trains travel. ... A Routemaster bus This article is a general one on buses in London. ... A London AEC Routemaster, RML 2473 (JJD 473D), on route 7 approaching Ladbroke Grove tube station in April 2002. ... The Secret Group of Al Qaedas Jihad in Europe is a radical Islamic terrorist group first brought to prominence with their claim of carrying out of the July 7 terrorist bombings of London. ... Bold textralf is gay IOC redirects here. ... For other uses, see London (disambiguation). ... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ...

Prime Minister Tony Blair denounced the attacks as 'barbaric', and returned to London to oversee the situation, but announced that the business of the summit would continue. Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and MP for Sedgefield. ...

Past G6/7/8 summits

The location of the summit meetings rotate annually among member countries in the following order: France, United States of America, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, (also the order in which each nation joined the Group, excluding Russia who joined last). Thousands of reporters descend on the summit site to cover the world's most powerful leaders.

The 28th G8 Summit took place in 2002 and was called the Kananaskis Summit. ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Kananaskis is an improvement district (a type of rural municipal administrative unit) situated to the west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. ... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English Flower Wild rose Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ralph Klein (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water    (% of total)  Ranked 6th 661,848 km² 642,317 km² 19... The 29th G8 summit took place in Évian-les-Bains, France, in June 2003. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Évian-les-Bains or Évian is a commune of France, in the Haute-Savoie département. ... The 30th G8 Summit took place in 2002 and was called the Kananaskis Summit. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sea Island is an isolated resort island in Glynn County, Georgia. ... Official G8 2005 Portrait. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gleneagles Hotel and grounds. ... Gleneagles (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann na h-Eaglais/Gleann Eagas) is a glen in the Ochil Hills of Perthshire in Scotland. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ...

Future summits

The 32nd G8 summit is to take place in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in June 2006. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... Heiligendamm is a district of the little town of Bad Doberan on the coast of the Baltic Sea in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in Germany, on Mecklenburg Bay. ...

See also

• World Social Forum
• Anti-globalization
• G20
• Eight-Nation Alliance
• Forum for the Future G8 meeting on Middle East reform

Noam Chomsky at the World Social Forum in 2003. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... G20 has several possible meanings: G20 developing nations, a trade bloc of 20 countries. ... Military of the Powers during the Boxer Rebellion, with their naval flags, from left to right: Italy, United States, France, Austria-Hungary, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia. ... The Forum for the Future in Bahrain on 11-12 November 2005 brought together the leaders of states of the Middle East, industrialised countries of the Group of Eight (G8) and other partners to promote political, economic and social reform in the region. ...

References

External links

Wikinews has news related to:

Category:G8

Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ...

Governments

• History of the G8 - UK government site
• Government of Canada - G8 official Canadian government site
• 10 Downing Street - G8 and EU Presidencies official United Kingdom government site
• USINFO - Aid To Africa Site official United States Department of State site
• University of Toronto - G8 Information Centre research group
• Guardian Unlimited - Special Report: G8
• BBC News - Profile: G8
• Red Pepper G8 Special: articles and resources
• Kremlin.ru - Government site of Russia Kremlin.ru (english)
• Italian Government (Italian, English)
• German Government (Deutsch, English, français)

Comment

• New Statesman, 4 July 2005, "We are deeply concerned. Again" - G8 development concerns since 1977
• Medish, Mark. "Russia — Odd Man Out in the G-8", The Globalist, 24 February 2006.
• G8 Research Group "G8 Live" Live news and blogs from St. Petersburg summit by University of Toronto student members of the G8 Research Group

The New Statesman is a left-of-centre political weekly published in London. ... July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ...

Earlier G8 Summit Activism

• "G8 Summit Evian June 2003 - Reports & Photos"
• "G8 Activism": 2002 G8 Summit and earlier archives

Current and Future G8 Summit Activism

• "The G8, NATO, SCO and Iran" (Blog Entry)
• Camcorder Guerillas - "Why Close the G8?" film (On the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland)
• Dissent Network Against the G8 (English) info bulletin #1
• Live 8
• Make Poverty History Campaign (Official Site)
• "The Vacuum Cleaner's Mental Bloc (Aid) during the G8 Summit 2005" (Blog entry)
• One: The Campaign to Make Poverty History (Official Site)
• "G8 Summit 2006, St.Petersburg, Russia" (From
• "G8 St.Petersburg, Russia"

FAQ: This site is produced by "a collective of people from different countries who are involved in grassroots initiatives against the G8 summit. It was set up in August 2005 after it seemed necessary to have such a website for mobilisation.")

• Causes of the Debt Crisis
• Film about G8 meeting in Scotland, Nov. 2005
• Rock Ed Philippines - No more excuses, Philippines! Socio-Civic Education Through Philippine Rock Culture

African media coverage of G8 2005

• AfricaVox Reports - African journalists at G8 2005 7 Journalists reporting on Gleneagles
• AfricaVox Blog - African journalists at G8 2005 7 journalists blogging Gleneagles