About the G8 (2024)

What is the G8?

During the 1970s, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Italy formed the Group of Six (G6) as an informal grouping of advanced industrialized economies that would meet annually to discuss matters of political and economic significance. Canada was added in 1976 to form the Group of 7 (G7). In 1997, Russia joined, creating the Group of 8 (G8).

The European Union also participates in the G8 and is represented by the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.

History

During the early 1970s, the United States held a series of informal meetings with financial officials from the United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan, and France to discuss economic challenges facing advanced industrial economies. In 1975, French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing invited the heads of state and government from these countries and Italy to Rambouillet, France for a summit to discuss the oil crisis and economic recovery. That meeting – the first G6 Summit – released in a fifteen point declaration and agreed to hold an annual summit under a rotating presidency among the members.

The following year, Canada was invited to join the group for a summit in Puerto Rico under the presidency of the United States, forming the Group of Seven (G7) in 1976.

In 1977, the President of the European Commission was invited to attend the meeting. The President of the European Council now regularly attends as well.

Russia began to engage in separate meetings with G7 leaders in 1994 and formally joined the group in 1997 at the invitation of U.S. President Bill Clinton and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair. The group then became the Group of Eight (G8) as it is known today.

Presidency

The G8 Presidency rotates among the members annually. The nation holding the presidency hosts the summit.

In 2012, the United States will host the G8 for the sixth time. Previous U.S.-hosted summits were held in Dorado, Puerto Rico in 1976, Williamsburg, Virginia in 1983, Houston, Texas in 1990, Denver, Colorado in 1997, and Sea Island, Georgia in 2004.

About the G8 (2024)

FAQs

What is the G8 summary? ›

The Group of Eight (G-8) was an intergovernmental organization that met periodically to address international economic and monetary issues. The G-8 is now referred to as the G-7 because Russia, one of the original eight, was suspended from the group in 2014 after annexing Crimea.

What is the main focus of the G8? ›

The range of topics include health, law enforcement, labor, economic and social development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism, and trade.

What is the G8 responsible for? ›

The Group of Eight (G8) refers to the group of eight highly industrialized nations—France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, Canada, and Russia—that hold an annual meeting to foster consensus on global issues like economic growth and crisis management, global security, energy, and terrorism.

What do the G8 have in common? ›

Originally, the G8 focused exclusively on economic and trade issues but has expanded over time to include many aspects of common concern among the members. At previous Summits, G8 leaders have discussed global security, energy, the environment and climate change and development.

What is G8 in text? ›

These days text communications shorthand is using “Gr8” to mean “great”. It looks and sounds similar to “G8” a heading that many people see in their newspapers and websites. The G8 heading is now part of my daily activity. We even have a website: @G8 and a similar Twitter address.

What is a G8 leader? ›

Group of Eight, intergovernmental organization that originated in 1975 through informal summit meetings of the leaders of the world's leading industrialized countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan).

How did the G8 start? ›

What is the G8? During the 1970s, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Italy formed the Group of Six (G6) as an informal grouping of advanced industrialized economies that would meet annually to discuss matters of political and economic significance.

Is G8 political or economic? ›

The G8 address a wide range of international economic, political, and security issues. Origins. The G8 has its origin at an economic summit in 1975 convened by President Valery Giscard d'Estaing of France and attended by leaders from Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

What does G8 summit stand for? ›

The Group of Eight (G8) Summit is an annual meeting attended by the leaders of the eight countries, namely, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the President of the European Commission.

Who are the members of the G8? ›

The Group of Eight (G8) was a group made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia (suspended), the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Commission is also represented in the committee.

Where has the G8 been held? ›

Sortable Table of G7/G8 Summit Locations
ResortLocation
Grand Hotel HeiligendammHeiligendamm on the Mecklenburg, Germany
Sea IslandSea Island, Georgia, United States
Windsor Hotel Toya Resort & SpaTōyako, Japan
Lough Erne ResortLough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
8 more rows

What happened at the G8 summit? ›

Protests. The Genoa G8 Summit protest, 19 to 22 July 2001, was a dramatic protest, drawing an estimated 200,000 demonstrators. Dozens were hospitalized following clashes with police and night raids by security forces on two schools housing activists and independent journalists.

What is G8 government? ›

The G8 (or “Group of Eight”) is a multilateral group consisting of the world's major industrial democracies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While the European Union is not a member of the G8, EU representatives attend G8 meetings as “observers.

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