| 28th G8 Summit | |
|---|---|
 | |
 family picture of leaders | |
| Host country | Canada |
| Dates | June 26–27, 2002 |
| Cities | Kananaskis, Alberta |
| Venues | Kananaskis Resort |
| Follows | 27th G8 summit |
| Precedes | 29th G8 summit |
The28th G8 Summit was held inKananaskis, Alberta,Canada, on June 26–27, 2002.
TheGroup of Seven (G7) was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries:France,Germany,Italy,Japan, theUnited Kingdom, theUnited States, andCanada starting in 1976. TheG8, meeting for the first time in 1997, was formed with the addition ofRussia.[1] In addition, thePresident of the European Commission has been formally included in summits since 1981.[2] The summits were not meant to be linked formally with wider international institutions; and in fact, a mild rebellion against the stiff formality of other international meetings was a part of the genesis of cooperation between France's presidentValéry Giscard d'Estaing and West Germany's chancellorHelmut Schmidt as they conceived theinitial summit of theGroup of Six (G6) in 1975.[3]
The G8 summits during the 21st-century have inspired widespread debates, protests and demonstrations; and the two- or three-day event becomes more than the sum of its parts, elevating the participants, the issues and the venue as focal points for activist pressure.[4]
The 2002 conference is said to have cost $300-million[5] with potential benefits for the Kananaskis economy.[6]
In response to and support of theNew Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the Kananaskis Summit produced anAfrican Action Plan, which contained commitments on promoting peace and security; strengthening institutions and governance; fostering trade, economic growth and sustainable development; implementing debt relief; expanding knowledge; improving health and confronting HIV/AIDS; increasing agricultural productivity; and, improving water resource management.[7]
Canadian Prime MinisterJean Chrétien proposed and carried theMarket Access Initiative, so that the then 48least developed countries (LDCs) could profit from "trade-not-aid".[8] This was part of a multi-year initiative by the Technical Cooperation Division at the Secretariat of theWTO, spearheaded by Dr.Chiedu Osakwe, the WTO Special Coordinator for the LDCs beginning in 1999.[9] Concurrently, the WTOAgreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) resulted in the phasing out of apparel quotas under theMulti Fibre Arrangement (MFA) in 2005.[10]Developing country quotas were subsequently removed on 1 January 2005, and tariff reduction was to continue until 2010.[10]
Furthermore, the G8Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction was adopted at the summit; with members committing US$20 billion towards the security of someweapons of mass destruction in formerSoviet republics.[11][12]
In the summit's final communique, one of the unexpected highlights was an announcement that Russia would become atrue full member of the G8. This would be accomplished by allowing it to host its first G8 summit, starting in2006. Thus, the rotation of the G8 Presidency was changed, placing Russia between the United Kingdom and Germany.[citation needed]
The G8 is an unofficial annual forum for the leaders of Canada, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[2]
These participants were the "core members" of the international forum during the 28th summit:[13][14][15][2]
| Core G8 members Host state and leader are shown in bold text. | |||
| Member | Represented by | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Canada | Jean Chrétien | Prime Minister |
 | France | Jacques Chirac | President |
 | Germany | Gerhard Schröder | Chancellor |
 | Italy | Silvio Berlusconi | Prime Minister |
 | Japan | Junichiro Koizumi | Prime Minister |
 | Russia | Vladimir Putin | President |
 | United Kingdom | Tony Blair | Prime Minister |
 | United States | George W. Bush | President |
 | European Union | Romano Prodi | Commission President |
| José María Aznar | Council President | ||
| Guest Invitees (Countries) | |||
| Member | Represented by | Title | |
 | Algeria | Abdelaziz Bouteflika | President |
 | Nigeria | Olusegun Obasanjo | President |
 | Senegal | Abdoulaye Wade | President |
 | South Africa | Thabo Mbeki | President |
| Guest Invitees (International Institutions) | |||
| Member | Represented by | Title | |
 | United Nations | Kofi Annan | Secretary-General |
Traditionally, a host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, which take place primarily amongst multi-nationalcivil servants in the weeks before the summit itself, leading to a joint declaration which all countries can agree to sign. The Presidency of the G8 is held by the leader of a current national government, whether it is a president, prime minister, or chancellor (with Germany) of that particular G8 country. It lasts from January 1 to December 31 of such year.
The summit was intended as a venue for resolving differences among its members. As a practical matter, the summit was also conceived as an opportunity for its members to give each other mutual encouragement in the face of difficult economic decisions.[3]
The previous summit, the27th G8 summit, inGenoa, Italy was the site of largeanti-globalization protests and occasionally violent conflict between protesters and the police. In contrast to Genoa, most of the area near was closed to the public during the summit, and protesters were kept far away, mainly inCalgary. The protests were peaceful, attended by groups including theRaging Grannies.
Kananaskis was selected because of its isolated location. Security was augmented byCF-188 jet fighters, air-to-air refuelling aircraft and helicopters which patrolled the skies non-stop; all major thoroughfares were closed, many of the shops in nearby Calgary were boarded up, and police reportedly outnumbered protesters six to one. It was the largest peacetime security operation in Canadian history.[5]
Security was very tight at the summit, costing taxpayers in excess of $200 million.[6] It attracted thousands of protesters and security was provided by 5,000 to 7,000 police and military officers.[16] Protests were described as largely peaceful.[17] This was the first G-8 summit held after theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks.
For some, the G8 summit became a profit-generating event; as for example, the officialG8 Summit magazines which have been published under the auspices of the host nations for distribution to all attendees since 1998.[18]
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