The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The forum offers an opportunity for G7 Leaders, Ministers and policy makers to come together each year to build consensus and set trends around some of today’s most challenging global issues.
The European Union (EU) was first invited to attend the G7 in 1977 and the President of the European Commission has attended all of its sessions since 1981. Both the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission represent the EU at G7 summits.
In 2018, the leaders will gather on June 8-9 at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, in La Malbaie, in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, Canada.
Behind the Scenes of the G7 (Episode 8 on YouTube): The last sherpa meeting before the Summit.
Canada is proud to hold the G7 Presidency from January 1 to December 31, 2018, and will use this opportunity to showcase both its domestic and international priorities. As the G7 president, Canada is responsible for hosting and organizing the G7 Summit that will take place in Charlevoix from June 8-9, 2018.
The G7’s origin stems from meetings held in the 1970s between France’s Valéry Giscard D’Estaing and Germany’s Helmut Schmidt when they were finance ministers. Each subsequently assumed the leadership of their respective countries, just as the mid-1970s oil crisis was buffeting the world’s largest economies.
French President Giscard D’Estaing urged the leaders of Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to meet in 1975 to discuss how to respond to the oil crisis.
A year later, in 1976, Canada’s Prime Minister was extended an invitation to the G7 by the President of the United States.
The European Union (EU) was first invited to attend the G7 in 1977 and the President of the European Commission has attended all of its sessions since 1981.
Canada is proud to host the 2018 G7 Summit in Charlevoix. This vibrant region captures everything that our country is about – from bilingualism, to cultural diversity, to stunning scenery in every season. I look forward to welcoming my counterparts this year in beautiful Charlevoix. I’m sure they will fall in love with the region, just as Canadians have done for generations.
– Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau. Prime Minister of Canada
The role of chairing the G7 rotates each calendar year among the member countries in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. The European Union is not part of this hosting rotation.
Over the past 40 years, the G7 has strengthened international economic and security policy, mainstreamed climate change and gender equality, brought donors together and supported disarmament programs.
The G7 has been proven to provide global leadership and play a powerful role in impacting world issues. For example, the issue of women’s and children health were championed by Canada during the 2010 G7 presidency.
The Muskoka Initiative committed G7 members to mobilize $5 billion of additional funding between 2010-2015 toward maternal, newborn, and child health.
At the end of each ministerial meeting and the Leaders’ Summit, the host country publishes an outcomes document. This document can be delivered as a communiqué, declaration, or chair’s statement. This document explains what was discussed at the meetings and what agreements were reached by G7 members. Those official documents for the 2018 G7 Summit, are made available to the public after each event.
Past G7 Summits in Canada
Canada has hosted five G7 summits to date, including:
-Muskoka, Ontario (2010)
-Kananaskis, Alberta (2002)
-Halifax, Nova Scotia (1995)
-Toronto, Ontario (1988)
-Ottawa-Montebello, Ontario-Quebec (1981)
Charlevoix is a part of Canada that is as rich in history as it is beautiful. Open, expansive and welcoming, the region sits between the Laurentian Mountains and the St. Lawrence River—an ideal setting in which to present the G7 Summit in 2018.
The 2018 G7 logo represents Charlevoix’s rich natural setting and diverse landscape. The clean linear design depicts the region’s rolling mountains of mixed forest adorning the St. Lawrence River.
Seven world leaders are meeting in Canada for the G7 summit over the weekend, and the official group photo shows the awkwardness of the circumstances. The tensions have spilled over to Twitter, with Trump calling Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “indignant” just hours before the summit.
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Photos courtesy by CBC, USnews, G7gc, 680news, EWN, Reuters, CanadianPress
From left to right: British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Leah Millis/Reuters
