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What's the article about?
- It critically analyses the inherent flaws of the G7 grouping as a representative of the global community.
Relevance:
- GS2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests;
- Essay;
- Prelims
Context:
- Recently, the 49th G7 Summit took place in Hiroshima, Japan. The Indian PM also attended this G7 summit.
- In this article, the writer analyses the role of G7 as a global community.
What is G7 (Group of Seven)?
- It is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975.
- There are 7 core member states in G7: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is a non-enumerated member.
- All the G7 countries and India are a part of G20.
- The G7 does not have a formal charter or a secretariat. The presidency, which rotates among member countries each year, is in charge of setting the agenda.
- The G7 countries make up 10% of the world’s population, 31% of global GDP, and 21% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
- The G7 meets annually to discuss issues of common interest like global economic governance, international security and energy policy.
Analysis:
- The summit:
- By holding this meeting, the Japanese Prime Minister wanted to send out a message of global solidarity for peace.
- In addition to the symbolism of bringing leaders of all G-7 members with the EU leadership to the peace memorial for the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing, the grouping issued a special “Hiroshima Vision Statement on Nuclear Disarmament”.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s surprise arrival also enhanced the message by turning the spotlight on the horrors of Russia’s invasion; Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that the crisis was one of “humanity” was significant.
- The G-7 members issued a separate statement on Ukraine, hitting Russia with more sanctions, but failed to highlight a path towards dialogue and ending the war.
- Despite the invitation of countries such as India, Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam with a less black-and-white view of the world, the summit’s statements reflected a much more polarised view of the world — that of G-7 members alone.
- Inherent flaws of G7:
- G7 grouping is grossly unrepresentative of the world today.
- While members together represent more than half the world’s net wealth, the G-7 accounts for less than a third of the global GDP, and just over a tenth of the world’s population.
- Apart from Japan, the G-7 membership comprises an essentially Euro-American worldview, and is not discussing expanding that view soon.
- It has actually contracted, after it expelled Russia over its annexation of areas of Georgia in 2008 and then Crimea in 2014.
- It is also hard to justify an economic grouping that does not include some of the world’s largest economies (China and India) or the fastest growing GDPs, or biggest global energy providers.
- While some efforts were made in Hiroshima to recognise the G-7’s role in, for example, promoting transparent financing and debt sustainability for the developing world, or in compensating for the developed world’s contribution to global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, the summit failed to propose concrete measures to help defray these responsibilities.
Way Forward:
- As the spotlight shifts to the G-20 summit later this year in Delhi, it is hoped the grouping will work towards a more inclusive outlook and help in building a more comprehensive global consensus on some of the bigger challenges the world faces today.
