Does the G8 summit really matter?
Yes, it does matter, not only because of its existence, but also because of its contestation. “The Group of Eight (G8) is an international forum for the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The G8 can refer to the member states or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government.” “Lately, both France and the United Kingdom have expressed a desire to expand the group and include five developing countries, referred to as the Outreach Five (O5) or the Plus Five: Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. These countries have participated as guests in previous meetings, which are sometimes called G8+5.” “As the annual summits are extremely high profile, they are subject to extensive lobbying by advocacy groups and street demonstrations by activists. The most well-known criticisms center on the assertion that members of G8 are responsible for global issues such as poverty in Africa and developing countries du
