Q&A: What can the G8 do, and for how much longer?

By Christoph Trost May 27, 2011, 11:17 GMT

Deauville - Once again, eight of the most powerful heads of state and government are sitting together, for 25 hours at least. But are they still the people who make the big global decisions? What can the so-called Group of Eight (G8) countries deliver? Is it still an influential forum?

Question: Which countries are in the G8, and how often do their leaders meet?

The G8 consists of the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Canada and Russia. G8 countries represent 15 per cent of the global population and a large share of the world economic output.

Once a year, the heads of state and government hold a summit over several days. This year it falls under the stewardship of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in the coastal resort city of Deauville in Normandy. Top European Union representatives are also present.

Q: What is the point of the G8 summit? What, specifically, is being discussed in Deauville?

The leaders are discussing the main issues on the international political agenda, particularly the historic changes in northern Africa and the Arab world. Another issue is the consequences of the nuclear catastrophe in Japan's Fukushima reactor and the future of nuclear energy.

Conversations will also revolve around the current vacancy at the head of the International Monetary Fund. Recurrent issues include developments in the global economy and climate policy.

Given the full programme and the short amount of time available, development and aid organizations fear that the problems of the world's poorest countries will be squeezed off the agenda.

Q: What do the G8 states do to combat the urgent problems of the 21st century? What do they do for the world's poorest countries?

At the 2005 summit in the Scottish town of Gleneagles, the G8 promised to increase development aid by 50 billion dollars by the year 2010. At least half of this increase was to benefit African countries.

Development and aid organizations such as Oxfam now lament that this target has been missed by billions of dollars.

Germany is among those countries that missed the goal of spending 0.51 per cent of gross domestic product on development aid. Its actual expenditure is just 0.38 per cent.

The non-governmental organizations say this is disappointing and unacceptable, warning that the G8 risks losing its credibility.

Q: What is the G8 doing to combat world hunger?

Globally, 925 million people go hungry. At the G8 summit in l'Aquila, Italy, in 2009, financial aid worth more than 20 billion dollars was pledged for the world's poorest countries, particularly for small-scale farmers.

The G8 says that half of this has been spent or is about to be. However, Oxfam charges that it is not clear whether the money is reaching its target.

In addition, rising food prices are threatening to exacerbate hunger and global poverty. The World Bank says that food on average costs 36 per cent more now than it did a year ago. This issue is to be a focus of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in November.

Q: So is the G8 still necessary? Or has the exclusive club reached its end, given the growing importance of the G20?

G20 summits - which include rising economic powers such as China, India and Brazil - are increasingly important. Since the financial and economic crisis, the G20 has become the key forum for global economic issues, and will grow further in significance.

Climate change can also not be tackled by the G8 alone. This requires not just the G20 but the United Nations.

However, this does not mean the G8 is dead. Particularly on security and geopolitical issues, the G8 has carved out a leading role. 'Our time to lead is now,' US President Barack Obama said shortly before the summit.

Q: So, will there be G8 summits in future?

Yes, despite the growing importance of the G20 - not least because the G8 is an old family and generally shares common interests, unlike the far more mixed G20 group. G8 leaders appreciate the opportunity to hold effortless, straightforward and often informal discussions. This is just as it was in the early days, 36 years ago.