The G8

13 July 2009

The Summit of G8 Leaders took place between 8 – 10 July 2009 in L’Aquila, Italy.

The G8 stands for the 'Group of Eight' nations and represents the world's major industrialised democracies.

It was formed in 1975 when the leaders of Japan, the USA, Germany, France, the UK and Italy met in Rambouillet, near Paris, to discuss the economic problems of the day. Canada joined in 1976, creating the G7. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was invited to join in 1998, bringing the number up to eight.

The European Commission is also represented at all G8 meetings.

G8 Summits

Every year there is one summit meeting attended by the leaders of the eight nations. This year’s Summit was held between 8 – 10 July in L’Aquila, Italy, under the Italian presidency. For more details see the Italian G8 website.

Attendance was not limited to the G8. Sessions on the second day were attended by the heads of state of six additional countries: Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa (known as the ‘Plus 5’) along with Egypt; on the third day, the G8 were also joined by African countries including the founders of the New Partnership for African Development (Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal as well as Egypt and South Africa), Libya (as chair of the African Union), Ethiopia and Angola.

Representatives of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Energy Agency and World Trade Organisation were also represented.

DFID and the G8

G8 summits are important if we are to manage the effects of globalisation and climate change and to make progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The G8 can secure significant political commitment to action on these key global issues.

DFID is the lead ministry responsible for UK policy on development and also contributes to policy-making on climate change and the world economy. In preparation for each summit DFID not only briefs the Prime Minister and his officials on key development issues but maintains a dialogue with our opposite numbers at the development ministries of the other seven countries, discussing how the G8 can best work together to achieve our development targets and the MDGs.

Recent G8 summits have achieved many concrete results, such as:

Increasing global aid. Official Development Assistance (ODA) has increased by $20 billion since 2004. At Gleneagles, under the UK presidency, the G8 agreed to double aid by $50 billion per year by 2010, with $25 billion going to Africa.
Establishing a new working relationship with Africa via the G8 Africa Action Plan. This was a response to the African-led New Partnership for Africa's Development.
Carrying out 100% multilateral debt cancellation – the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative agreed at Gleneagles in 2005 has delivered an additional $41 billion debt relief so far, resulting in higher spending on education, health and other investments to reduce poverty.
Agreeing that all G8 countries will consider halving emissions by 2050 and that all major emitters should be involved in a comprehensive, global post-2012 Kyoto framework to tackle global warming through the UN by 2009.
Agreeing to spend $10 billion on food security to meet not just short-term humanitarian needs - including increases in food aid - but to improve food security and agricultural productivity over the longer term.
Setting up the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

In L’Aquila this year, the G8 reached agreements on a number of key areas:

Aid and Accountability

Reaffirmation of commitment to the Gleneagles targets, to increase annual aid to Africa by US$25 billion a year and overall aid by an estimated US$50 billion by 2010.
An international reassessment in 2010 on what is required to meet the Millennium Development Goals
Publication of the first G8 accountability framework, showing individual country progress against some key G8 commitments. Furthermore, the G8 tasked senior level experts to produce a full G8 accountability review in 2010.

Food

US$20 billion extra financing for food over the next 3 years. This includes a US$1.8 billion (£1.1 billion) contribution from the UK.

Health

A reaffirmation of existing commitments on global health, including US$60 billion for health over 5 years, 100 million malaria bed nets by 2010, and universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment by 2010.
Adoption of a Global Consensus on Maternal Health, which includes support for free services for women and children where countries choose to provide it.

Education

Reaffirmation of the need to fulfil the US$1.2 billion funding shortfall for the Education For All Fast Track Initiative.
Support for the FIFA 1-GOAL World Cup 2010 education campaign, which is working to mobilise 30 million football fans to advocate for the resources needed to deliver primary education for all children by 2015.

Water

Agreement to launch a strengthened Africa-G8 partnership on water and sanitation, based on mutual accountability and shared responsibility.

Climate change

Reference to the need to restrict climate change to 2° Celsius above pre-industrial times.
Confirmation of the long-term goal of at least a 50% reduction in global emissions by 2050, with a developed country goal of an 80% reduction in the same period, based on 1990 levels.

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