Staying together. The G8 summit confronts the 21st century

Abstract:

This work is part of the G8 and Global Governance Series which explores the issues, the institutions and the strategies of the participants in the G8 network of global governance, and other actors, processes, and challenges that shape global order in the twenty-first century.

The book is organised over fourteen chapters, of which the first two are by way of introduction. Chapter three begins the set of narrative chapters with commentary on the Birmingham 1998 summit, which together with the 1999 Cologne summit formed the changes to the summit format, making G7 into G8, and directed the summits’ response to globalisation away from institutions to the policies that the G8 members should adopt themselves. Chapter five is the first of the assessment chapters, examining the summits’ achievements in international finance during the first G8 sequence, in particular the two major issues of the new international financial architecture and debt relief for low-income countries. Chapters six and seven provide narrative of the 2000 Okinawa and 2001 Genoa summits, both of which are characterised by being prepared for by leaders who did not survive in power to preside over them. Okinawa was strongly focussed upon issues of development and Genoa sustained that focus, despite the leader being voted out of office two months before the summit.

Chapter eight is the second assessment chapter, examining the progress made in international trade and a range of development issues such as IT and the ‘digital divide’, infectious diseases and primary education. The ninth chapter deals with the Kananaskis 2002 summit, which was organised by an old hand from G7 days - Jean Chrétien - who staked everything on brevity and simplicity to good effect. Chapter ten covers the French summit of 2003, where Chirac in typical French style opted for the ‘grand vision’ with broad open-ended themes and elaborate outreach meetings, but quality gave way to quantity with few decisions worthy of heads of government. Chapter eleven deals with the Sea Island 2004 summit where George W. Bush followed the French style with broad summit themes producing masses of documents but little of substance. The final assessment, chapter twelve, examines the G8’s record on Africa and on terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction with a strong bias towards the political aspect, although some economic aspects were considered.

The two final chapters are by way of conclusion. Chapter thirteen reviews the consequences of reforms since Birmingham 1998, offering analysis of the different styles of heads of governments and concluding that they are most effective in substantive decision-making when they act to complete and supplement the summit preparations. Chapter fourteen offers an overall assessment of the summits’ achievements measured against the objectives during the first G8 sequence, and finds that performance has improved in political leadership but has sadly deteriorated in the reconciling of domestic and international pressures. Overall report might read ‘Keep up the hard work - Could do better’.

The work will interest scholars, students, researchers, policy makers engaged in International Affairs, Comparative Politics, Political Science and Global Governance.