Your G-8 Summit Primer
Posted Jun 25, 2010 03:22:52 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The curtain rises in earnest today on this weekend’s gathering of the world’s most important leaders. The G-8 summit starts in the Ontario resort town of Huntsville today and will be followed closely by the G-20 later this weekend.
It’s the first time the G-8 and G-20 summits have been held back-to-back, prompting many to question the necessity of having two separate meetings.
The price tag to Canadian taxpayers for organizing the summits is estimated to be at least $1.2 billion dollars. Previous summits have drawn heavy protests and demonstrations have already been held with bigger and louder ones expected this weekend.
Here are some facts about the Group of Eight (G-8):
What is it? — A forum for eight of the world’s leading democracies to discuss and resolve global issues.
Members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, United States.
Summits — Each country takes turns holding a leaders summit once a year, preceded by meetings of foreign ministers, finance ministers and occasionally ministers for labour, environment, energy and international development.
2010 Summit — Canada is hosting this year’s summit Friday and Saturday at the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ont., north of Toronto. It’s dubbed the Muskoka Summit, named after the affluent cottage country surrounding Huntsville. This is the fifth time for Canada to host since it joined the group in 1976. Previous summits were held in Montebello, Que., in 1981; Toronto in 1988; Halifax in 1995; and Kananaskis, Alta., in 2002.
History — Finance ministers from France and Germany started the group in the 1970s. As the oil crisis engulfed the world’s largest economies, the small organization brought in leaders from Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to figure out how to confront the crisis. Canada joined in 1976 to help balance off the European dominance of the group. The European Union later gained official observer status. Russia joined in 1998, but has not participated in the finance ministers’ meetings because of its unstable economy.
What’s new? — The G-8 has traditionally focused on global issues such as economics, peace and security, international development and health. Last September, leaders at the fledgling G-20 decided the larger group should take over responsibility for economic issues, since the G-20 encompasses huge emerging economic powers such as China, India and Brazil.
And, here are some key facts about the G-8 countries:
CANADA
Leader — Prime Minister Stephen Harper, since February 2006.
Capital City — Ottawa.
Population — 33.3 million.
UN Human Development Index — Fourth out of 179, in 2009.
GDP per capita — $48,106 in 2008.
Growth in 2009 — 2.6 per cent.
Fun Fact — Harper has a bit of a reputation for being tardy. He missed the leaders “family photo” at the G-20 summit last year in London, and showed up late for the G-8 photo-op last summer in Italy. Harper loves history and hockey, and he’s combining those passions by writing a book about the origins of the professional side of the sport.
FRANCE
Leader — President Nicolas Sarkozy, since May 2007.
Capital City — Paris.
Population — 63.9 million.
UN Human Development Index — Eighth out of 179.
GDP per capita — $47,577 (2008).
Growth in 2009 — -2.3 per cent.
Fun Fact — “Sarko” is an outspoken leader who married ex-supermodel Carla Bruni in 2008. The couple has had to endure racy tabloid rumours of infidelity involving both partners _ something they dismiss as total nonsense.
GERMANY
Leader — Chancellor Angela Merkel, since November 2005
Capital City — Berlin.
Population — 82.1 million.
UN Development Index — 22nd out of 179.
GDP per capita — $47,337 (2008).
Growth in 2009 — -4.8 per cent.
Fun Fact — Germany’s first female chancellor grew up behind the “Iron Curtain” in communist East Germany and is often compared to “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher.
ITALY
Leader — Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, since May 2008 (previously served 1994-1995, and 2001-2006.)
Capital City — Rome.
Population — 59.9 million.
UN Human Development Index — 18th out of 179.
GDP per capita — $41,322 (2008).
Growth in 2009 — -4.8 per cent.
Not-So-Fun Fact — Berlusconi is a colourful media tycoon who has faced criminal allegations involving Mafia connections, fraud, corruption and bribery, but none of the charges has stuck. He has also been caught up in sex scandals involving teenagers and prostitutes. Last year, he suffered a broken nose and teeth after a man hit him in the face with a statue.
JAPAN
Leader — Prime Minister Naoto Kan, since June.
Capital City — Tokyo.
Population — 127.7 million.
UN Human Development Index — 10th out of 179.
GDP per capita — $38,643 (2008).
Growth in 2009 — -5.3 per cent.
Fun Fact — His nickname is “Ira-Kan,” which means “Irritable Kan” _ a reference to his temper. Loves to play Mahjong and built a machine to calculate points. A Japanese retailer sold shirts reading “Yes We Kan.”
RUSSIA
Leader — President Dmitry Medvedev, since May 2008.
Capital City — Moscow.
Population — 141.8 million.
UN Human Development Index — 71st out of 179.
GDP per capita — $12,553 (2008).
Growth in 2009 — -9.0.
Fun Fact — Medvedev spent much of his youth making hard-rock audio cassettes featuring Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, among others. He had never run for office before he was elected president two years ago, when he was backed by exiting president Vladimir Putin.
UNITED KINGDOM
Leader — Prime Minister David Cameron, since May.
Capital City — London.
Population — 61.4 million.
UN Human Development Index — 21st out of 179.
GDP per capita — $46,119 (2008).
Growth in 2009 — -4.8 per cent.
Fun Fact — At age 43, Cameron is the youngest British prime minister in almost 200 years. He is a distant relation to Queen Elizabeth.
UNITED STATES
Leader — President Barack Obama, since January 2009.
Capital City — Washington, D.C.
Population — 304.1 million.
UN Human Development Index — 13th out of 179.
GDP per capita — $50,011 (2008).
Growth in 2009 — -2.5 per cent.
Fun Fact — America’s first black president showed his star power during a visit to Ottawa last year, including a stop at a local bakery. The bakery still advertises fresh-baked “Obama” cookies.
Be sure to tune to 570 News all weekend long for coverage of the G8 and G20 summits.
