Notes

The G7 stands for the ‘Group of Seven’ and is a gathering of government leaders from some of the world’s richest nations. The countries which make up the G7 have met each year since the 1970s. The presidency of G7 meetings is held by each of the seven countries in turn, each year. The country holding the presidency is responsible for organising and hosting the meeting. The group used to be known as the G8 until Russia was expelled in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea. The prime ministers and presidents from the G7 countries meet annually to discuss problems facing the world – including economic issues, health emergencies and the climate crisis.

Previous G7 summits have focused on matters ranging from debt relief for developing countries, health emergencies such as HIV and AIDS and global security threats. The G7 is an important meeting because the heads of government attending the summit are the leaders of some of the world’s richest and most powerful countries.
The countries in the G7 and the heads of government who will be attending the meeting are:

Canada – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
France – President Emmanuel Macron
Germany – Chancellor Angela Merkel
Italy – Prime Minister Mario Draghi
Japan – Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
UK – Prime Minister Boris Johnson
USA – President Joe Biden
The European Union is also represented at the G7 by the President of the European Commission

The G7 has been criticised for being outdated and ineffective in recent decades due to its exclusion of two of the world’s largest economies in India and China. Several think tanks have called for India’s inclusion into the group; however, some argue against it, pointing to India’s much lower GDP per capita relative to other states.

The G7 summit provides a forum for member countries to discuss shared values and concerns. While it initially focused on international economic policy, in the 1980s, the G7 extended its mandate to include issues related to foreign policy and security as well. In recent years, G7 leaders have met to formulate common responses to challenges encompassing counterterrorism, development, education, health, human rights and climate change.