Marina Larionova, Dr of Political Science, Head of International Organisations Research Institute (IORI) of the State University – Higher School of Economics, Head of International Programmes at the National Training Foundation; E-mail: mlarionova@hse.ru

Mark Rakhmangulov, Deputy Director of the Informational-Analytical G8 Research Centre of the International Organisations Research Institute (IORI) of the State University – Higher School of Economics; E-mail: MRakhmangulov@hse.ru

The paper presents analysis of the G8 Muskoka and G20 Toronto summits. It looks into the main documents agreed and decisions made by the leaders. The authors consider the trend for division of labor on priorities and global governance functions between the two institutions, and the risks it contains. The analysis highlights that the G8 members so far bear the dual responsibility for commitments made in both the G8 and G20 summits. The G8 members have also delegated significant volume of the direction setting and decision making functions to the G20. It can be assumed that the Seoul summit will change the trend. However the paper concludes that if the Muskoka-Toronto summitry distribution of functions is maintained and consolidated, and the G20 compliance record remains low, the G8-G20 partnership for global governance will be neither sustainable nor effective.