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The annual G8 leaders summit takes place July 15-17, 2006, in St. Petersburg, Russia (with substantive work beginning July 16). It has been preceded by preliminary meetings, including ministerial-level talks in the areas of foreign affairs, justice, finance, energy, the environment, health and education.
The Group of Eight, or G8, includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Russia. The European Union will also be participating, along with its four sub-parts listed above, and other nation-states and international organizations have been invited for some activities associated with the leaders’ summit (notably absent are the World Bank and International Monetary Fund [IMF]). Past G8 summits have touched upon diverse international security, political, and economic issues.
G8 foreign ministers met on June 29, 2006, to discuss international security and other related issues in anticipation of the leaders’ summit. According to the president’s statement issued by Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on behalf of the group, the G8 foreign ministers focused on the issues listed below, in anticipation of the G8 summit.
There have been two significant developments since the June 29 meeting involving Iran and North Korea. With respect to Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and Germany agreed to support the a UNSC referral in the absence of a favorable response by Iran to diplomatic engagement in the form of an incentives package. In addition, on July 4, 2006, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles, including a failed launch of a long-range missile. Japan is providing leadership in the UNSC on a resolution responding to the launches with sanctions, although some Japanese leaders are reportedly reflecting upon whether the Japanese constitution permits Japan to launch preemptive strikes.
Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)
The G8 foreign ministers:
· discussed illicit air transport of SALW violating UN embargoes.
Iranian Nuclear Program
The G8 foreign ministers:
· cited the Iranian matter as a source of international concern, as highlighted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors resolutions and the UNSC Presidential Statement, essentially endorsing steps sought by the IAEA Board such as suspension of nuclear fuel cycle activities;
· reiterated a commitment to a diplomatic solution;
· endorsed the Vienna Declaration of June 1, 2006, backed by the “P5+1” that includes the five UNSC permanent members, Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States, plus Germany (note that the “EU-3” spearheading negotiations with Iran consists of Britain, France and Germany);
· expressed disappointment at Iran’s failure to respond to the proposal and called for them to do so by the July 5 meeting with the European Union (EU); and
· expressed an understanding that the P5+1 foreign ministers would assess the situation before mid-July.
Note that, in fact, in the week leading up to the G8 leaders summit the P5+1 indicated their support for the UNSC moving forward in its handling of the Iranian matter, given the absence of a timely Iranian response. (Note also that the IAEA Board remains seized of the matter as well, working in partnership with the UNSC.)
North Korea
The G8 Foreign Ministers:
· reiterated a G8 commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and expressed full support for the six party talks;
· urged North Korea to return to the talks and implement the Joint Statement of Sept. 19, 2005; and
· discussed security and humanitarian issues in North Korea, including abductions.
Iraq
The G8 foreign ministers:
· reiterated G8 commitment to Iraq's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity;
· expressed G8 support for the permanent Iraqi government and its reconciliation initiative, and urged continued efforts towards achieving national political accord;
· highlighted the need for public order and security, and sustained socio-economic development;
· called on the international community to offer broad support for Iraq's new government and its people including being responsive to the Iraqi government's proposal for an International Compact, citing the need for the support of the UN, international financial institutions, and regional governments; and
· condemned the barbaric murder of five Russian diplomats in Iraq and demanded the capture and fair punishment of the villains.
Counterterrorism and Narcotics
The G8 foreign ministers:
· endorsed a draft G8 Declaration on Counterterrorism with an annexed G8 Statement on Strengthening the UN's Counterterrorism Program, to be submitted for consideration by G8 leaders at the leaders summit; and
· welcomed the results of an International Ministerial Conference on Drug Trafficking Routes from Afghanistan.
Middle East
The G8 foreign ministers, among other things:
· reiterated a commitment to a “negotiated, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement in the Middle East”;
· articulated as a G8 common goal “the creation of a viable, democratic and sovereign Israel and Palestine living in peace and security side-by-side within internationally recognized borders”;
· called on the Palestinian Authority to commit itself to recognizing Israel’s right to exist and acceptance previous Israeli/Palestinian agreements consistent with recent Quartet statements;
· called on the Palestinian government to stop terrorist violence and liberate an abducted Israeli soldier and condemned extremist groups responsible for these acts;
· urged Israeli restraint;
· called for the protection of civilians, expressed concern of the Palestinian humanitarian situation, and over issues of access;
· supported restored Israeli-Palestinian dialogue in the spirit of the Roadmap and UNSC Resolutions 242, 338, 1397 and 1515;
· reiterated G8 adherence to comprehensive partnership with Broader Middle East and North Africa BMENA countries, based on peer-to-peer dialogue respectful of cultural, social and religious differences, to promote peace, stability, freedom and democracy for all the peoples and nations in the region in accordance with Sea-Island and Gleneagles commitments; and
· welcomed commitments to modernization and reform made at the Arab League summits in Tunisia, Algeria and Khartoum, which recognized a central role for the "Forum for the Future" as a mechanism for sustaining G8-BMENA regional dialogue.
Note that this meeting occurred before more widespread hostilities broke out between Israel and Hezbollah, now involving Lebanon.
Afghanistan
The G8 foreign ministers:
· reiterated the G8 commitment to helping Afghanistan with governance, human rights and the rule of law;
· welcomed the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF)'s southward expansion;
· welcomed National Assembly and Provincial Council elections and the formation of a new Afghan government;
· underlined G8 support for effective implementation of the London Conference on Afghanistan, including the Afghanistan Compact, which requires the Afghan government to take on more responsibility for providing security, political and socio-economic recovery; and
· declared that the G8 will continue providing all-round support and assistance to Afghanistan’s formation of a peaceful, independent and prosperous state, without terrorism, narcotics or the Taliban.
Sudan
The G8 foreign ministers, among other things:
· supported Sudan’s peace-building process based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement;
· welcomed the Abuja Agreement of May 5, 2006, as the basis for political settlement in Darfur;
· called on donors to fully implement commitments to support Sudan made at the conferences in Oslo (April 2005) and in Paris (March 2006);
· called for sustainable peace in the region and an end to atrocities;
· cited an African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council decision and UNSC resolution 1679 and committed to implement steps aimed at transforming the mandate of the AMIS to the UN-led peace-keeping operation in Darfur;
· welcomed a joint AU/UN Technical Assessment Mission in Darfur and called for Sudanese cooperation; and
· Foreign Ministers expressed support for the negotiation process between the Sudanese Government and "Eastern Front" aimed at a comprehensive political settlement in Eastern Sudan.
African Peacekeeping
The G8 foreign ministers:
· noted a report on strengthening Africa peacekeeping capacity agreed upon a meeting of G8 officials and other key donor partners;
· reaffirmed previous G8 commitments support African efforts towards a peaceful and stable Africa, including progressive implementation of decisions taken at previous G8 summits at Sea-Island and Gleneagles;
· noted G8 contributions to African peacekeeping capacity building, such as coordinated technical assistance for an African Stand-by Force and national peacekeeping training capacities and regional training centers for African peacekeepers both in Africa and elsewhere, including the Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units in Vicenza, Italy;
· specifically highlighted steps towards a Sea-Island summit commitment to train and equip 75,000 mainly African peacekeepers; and
· highlighted a need to enhance African logistics capacity, focusing on equipment, equipment depots, and other transport and logistics support.
Cooperation and Future Action in Stabilization and Reconstruction (S&R)
The G8 foreign ministers:
· welcomed a U.S.-proposed draft G8 declaration of Cooperation and Future Action in Stabilization and Reconstruction and remained seized of the matter;
· agreed that the evolving international environment and development of new threats and challenges demands more agile, adaptable international responses; and
· underlined that the UN, UNSC and newly established peace-building commission are primary actors in international peacekeeping and S&R.
Northern Uganda
The G8 foreign ministers:
· expressed concern over serious humanitarian consequences in northern Uganda and the need for international assistance with internally displaced persons (IDPs) and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR);
· welcomed Ugandan steps to improve the situation, including the Joint Monitoring Committee the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan in tackling “criminal acts” by the so-called Lord's Resistance Army, and put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Northern Uganda.
Western Balkans
The G8 foreign ministers:
· reaffirmed a Contact Group for Kosovo’s future remaining active, and supported UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari, with activities of both based on UNSC Resolution 1244, the Guiding Principles, and a Jan. 31 London Ministerial Statement;
· welcomed direct Belgrade-Pristina talks;
· underlined that Kosovo must remain multi-ethnic;
· noted continued UNSC involvement; and
· agreed Bosnia and Herzegovina constitutional reforms are necessary.
Additional issues:
The G8 foreign ministers also addressed:
· Nagorno-Karabakh Settlement, including supporting the mediation efforts of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, United States, France);
· Haiti, reiterating G8 support for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) including its renewed and strengthened mandate, and urging the international support for a July 25 pledging conference in Haiti;
· East Timor, emphasizing the need to help the East Timorese government restore stability, law and order, including responding to a UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) flash appeal issued on June 12, 2006, and also emphasizing the role of the United Nations Office in Timor Leste (UNOTIL).
· Abkhazia
· South Ossetia
· Transdnistria
· Belarus
Conspicuously Absent
Apparently absent from the discussions was mention of the conflict in Chechnya.
G8 Summit
The G8 essentially is a gathering, an activity rather an organization, originally conceived in the mid-1970’s as a meeting of the heads of state of leading industrial democracies. It now also includes Russia, whose democracy arguably is in transition.
The G8 is not an international organization and has no charter or permanent secretariat. Annual meetings rotate among the participating states, with Russia having been selected in 2002 to serve as the 2006 host.
This year’s guest list embraces the shifting sands of sovereignty, with the European Union (EU) participating along with four of its subparts, G8 “members” Germany, France, Britain, and Italy, still independent states even as the EU gradually takes on greater degrees of unification. In addition, the African Union (AU) is represented by guest invitee from Congo, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is represented by guest invitee from Kazakhstan. Additional invitees are detailed below.
Participants
G8 “Members”
Formal participants include the leaders of:
- United States
- Japan
- Russia
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- France
- Italy
- Canada
with the European Union (EU) also participating.
Other nation-states
In addition, Russia has invited, as guests for parts of the summit, leaders from:
- India
- China
- Brazil
- Mexico
- South Africa
- Republic of Congo, on behalf of the African Union (AU)
- Kazakhstan, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
International Organizations
Russia also has invited representatives from:
- United Nations organization (UN)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Conspicuously absent are the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. From afar World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. deputy secretary of defense, has urged action towards forward momentum on the Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) trade talks.
Issues
This year’s summit is expected to highlight issues surrounding
- energy security;
- infectious disease and pandemics; and
- education.
(These three priority topics were selected by Russia as host.)
In addition:
- terrorism;
- nonproliferation;
- other security issues;
- regional challenges, such as North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Darfur;
- Africa;
- trade; and
- intellectual property rights.
Russia
Controversy has been raised over Russia serving as the host of the 2006 G8 Summit, based upon concerns over the pace, direction, or back-sliding in Russian political transformation, specifically with respect to the concentration of power in the Kremlin, questions about media freedoms and civil society (e.g., NGOs), rule of law, corruption, and other human rights issues, as well as Russia’s relationship with other former Soviet states and its degree of respect for their sovereignty. The latter issue also overlaps with questions about Russia’s role as a dominant energy supplier and whether it has used, or would use, that clout to bring political pressure. Complicating matters further have been recent unusual statements or conduct by Russian President Vladimir Putin, including unkind references to Vice President Richard Cheney’s accidental shooting of a hunting companion, and a somewhat baffling incident involving Putin, at a public appearance, pulling up the shirt of a young boy and kissing the boy on the stomach (video of the incident is available at cnn.com).
To the extent Russia-specific issues are being addressed, however, it is more outside of the G8 framework. For example, President George W. Bush arrived early in Russia for bilateral talks. In addition, both U.S. officials and others have indicated a preference for private discussions with the Russians on Russia-related matters, characterized both by respect and frank candor on all sides.
Conclusion
The G8 offers another multilateral forum for addressing urgent international security and economic issues by leading industrial democracies as well as Russia. It’s worth watching whether this year’s meeting will bear fruit diplomatically, and the summit lends itself to continued growth in the synergy of leading nations with shared interests and, hopefully, shared values, promoting global peace and stability respectful of human rights and rule of law.
Links and further reading:
“2006 Group of Eight (G8) Summit,” State Department, http://www.state.gov/e/eb/ecosum/c18032.htm
“Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the President's Trip to the G-8 Summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia,” White House transcript, July 6, 2006, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060706-3.html
“FACTBOX: Main issues at G8 summit,” Reuters, July 14, 2006,
http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?
type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-07-
14T122539Z_01_L10209976_RTRIDST_0_GROUP-
ISSUES-FACTBOX.XML
Arkady Ostrovsky, Caroline Daniel and Hugh Williamson, “Russia warns west not to interfere,” Financial Times, July 14, 2006, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/bf8229ee-1298-11db
-aecf-0000779e2340.html
Maggie Farley and Bruce Wallace, “U.S. and Japan Agree to a Delay on North Korea Sanctions Vote,” Los Angeles Times,
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-
norkor11jul11,1,680955.story?coll=la-headlines-world
Gilbert Le Gras, “World Bank urges global trade breakthrough at G8,” Reuters, July 10, 2006, http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx
?type=topNews&storyID=2006-07-
10T170056Z_01_N09293071_RTRUKOC_0_US-
TRADE-WORLDBANK.xml
G8 Summit 2006, St. Petersburg, Russia, State Department web site,
http://usinfo.state.gov/ei/economic_issues/group_of_8/
g8_summit_2006.html
Official Website of the G8 presidency of the Russian Federation in 2006, http://en.g8russia.ru/
“Pre-Summit Statement by G8 Finance Ministers, St. Petersburg, June 9-10, 2006,” Treasury Department news release JS-4315 (transcript of statement), June 10, 2006, https://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js4315.htm
“President Bush and German Chancellor Merkel Participate in Press Availability,” White House transcript, July 13, 2006, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060713-4.html
President’s Trip to Germany and Russia, White House web site, http://www.whitehouse.gov/g8/2006/index.html
Press Briefing by National Security Advisor Steve Hadley on the President's Trip to Russia and Germany, White House transcript, July 10, 2006, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060710-13.html
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