2008. vol. 3. No. 4

V. Kartamyshev, Governance Policy Officer, Oxfam International

2008 is the midpoint for the achievement of Millennium Development Goals signed by 147 countries in the UN Millennium Declaration back in 2000. Given the trend in ODA allocations from the rich countries, the current uncertainties in the world financial markets, the amplifying food crisis and the affects of the climate change on the economies and livelihoods of vulnerable population in southern countries, there are worrying early signs that most poor countries will fail to accomplish the MDGs. Eight broad goals calling for halving extreme poverty, improving indicators on maternal and children’s health, decreasing under-five mortality rates and combating diseases such as TB, malaria, polio and HIV/AIDS are out of reach for many poorest countries in Africa.

G8 summits are the most significant events at which the leaders of the G8 discuss inter alia development issues and may not only determine the modalities of development assistance, but also spearhead significant international initiatives to deal with poverty and human suffering.

The article analyses the commitments made at the Heiligendamm summit in Germany in 2007 concerning African development, to which extent they have been met and some of the contemporary issues and problems facing African countries. Commitments to address HIV/AIDS, malaria and polio, promote Education for All Fast track initiative, deal with climate change effects and international trade regimes are analysed. Beyond these, the article discusses the current emerging challenges such as food crisis, development of infrastructure and the role that new actors, India and China in particular, could play in African development.

J.J. Kirton, professor, Director of the G8 Research Centre, University of Toronto (Transl. by J. Zaitsev, Eds. M. Larionova)

The paper was prepared for the international seminar “From Heiligendamm to Toyako Summit and Beyond: Priorities for the Future Agenda and Options for Reform” sponsored by the International Organizations Research Institute of State University Higher School of Economics, which was held on 15-16 May 2008. The paper looks into Japan’s approach to G8 Summitry. The author forecasts 2008 G8 Summit outcomes on the basis of the analysis of Japan’s historic performance, external global shocks end internal events in G8 and O5 countries. The author also highlights Japanese host’s agenda which was formulated over the preparatory period. The key topics for 2008 G8 Summit are environment, African development, world economy, intellectual property, nuclear safety and non-proliferation. The author considers the role of the preparatory process, embracing a series of ministerial meetings, a set of sherpa meetings and bilateral visits of G8 leaders. Most importantly, Dr. Kirton examines the propellers of the performance. According to him shocks-activated equalizing vulnerability of the G8 members may serve for the summit possible success. These vulnerabilities come from terrorists threats, contagious financial and food crisis, energy and ecological shocks, multilateral organizations’ failure and poor domestic political situations in some G8 countries. And last but not least the author outlines prospects for the summit performance. He suggests that the summit success way may be further propelled by a wide range of participants, need to tackle the newly arising problems and continuity between the predominant global challenges, Japan’s longstanding agenda and the summit agenda.

O. Barabanov, Head of Department of EU Politics and Policies, European Studies Institute, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) of the MFA of Russia

According to statistics we can see the increasing number of political issues in the G8 agenda, but still we have the stereotype that the summit is not for political but for economic and financial issues, and after rise of anti-globalization movement it’s for global social issues. And political issues is just the case for change of views among presidents and not for real commitments and not compliance. What makes success, it will not be the political issues on the agenda. Maybe this increasing number of political issues starting in the early 1990s was ecause of the fact of partial participation of Russia in those summits, when you had P8 and G7 and first political discussions of terrorism and security etc. with Russian president and then G7 turned to normal agenda of economy and finances.

Another point, very interesting and controversial for Russia, if we’re talking about political issues. Is the G8 the value-oriented organization or not. We heard already sometimes the ideas that Russia is not democratic, not free and should be excluded from G8. Sometimes from American right, sometimes from EU and now with the process of ratification of Lisbon treaty with EU where it’s clearly written that foreign policy should be value oriented. Still we have rather different understanding of values in international politics between Russia and other G8 members.

Another factor is the factor of newcomer. The Russian newcomers— new president Medvedev will participate at Hokkaido summit. So it would be useful to reflect on the possible ‘road map’ for Medvedev for his approach to G8 agenda. The article is dedicated to these problems.

V. Zuev, Head of Chair of  International economic organizations and European integration of the SU-HSE World Economics and International Affairs Faculty

The article contributes to understanding of the notion of the system of global economic governance, outlines the current problems of the system, tracks their origins, analyses the need for amendment of the present agenda of the global institutions to match the challenges of the day, identifies some ways of reform to increase the efficiency of the global economic governance.

Natalia Churkina, analyst, Institute for Complex Strategic Studies

Kyoto protocol soft limitations allowed Russia to postpone the development of national climate change strategy (unlike in many developed and some developing countries). Most of Russian companies are not interested in environmental and particularly climate change policy today.At the same time Russia is one of the most carbon intensive economies in the world. High carbon intensity imposes potential limitations on economic development of Russia through probable carbon taxes and technical standards. Moreover, post-Kyoto period may introduce tight obligations for Russia to reduce carbon emissions. Lack of climate change policy in Russia sends the challenge for fulfillment of Russian international obligations, particularly those accepted by Russia as G8 member. The availability of national strategy on climate change becomes crucial ahead of the Hokkaido Toyako Summit and further post-Kyoto dialogue.

IORI HSE-G8 Research Team (Eds. E. Gorbunova, M. Larionova)

G8 Commitments compliance monitoring is a comprehensive methodological instrument aimed at assessing the G8 member states individual compliance with priority commitments made at G8 annual summits. It can be used for G8 effectiveness evaluation, as well as for communicating the G8 summits and process outcomes to the wider public.

2007 G8 Final Compliance Report covers the period from April 2007 till May 2008 and analyses compliance by G8 member states and the EU with 23 priority commitments made at G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, including such priority issues as growth and responsibility of the world economy, Africa development, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, Heiligendamm process – a new form of topic-driven dialogue with Outreach 5, etc.