Evaluation of the Outcome of the G8 Heiligendamm Summit
08/06/2007
The G8 leaders issued two lengthy and major declarations on the outcome of their discussions: “Growth and Responsibility and the World Economy” and “Growth and Responsibility in Africa”. An overall assessment must be mixed. The former declaration covered new ground on both climate change and the social dimension of globalization whilst the latter gives cause for alarm on the failure of the G8 to implement their commitments to double aid to Africa given at the Gleneagles summit two years ago. A general theme repeated throughout the documents is the targeting of international institutions to follow up the declarations and more institutionalized dialogue to be established with the major the five major non-G8 countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa) through a “Heiligendamm Process” to be housed at the OECD. ...