Just one year after hosting the World Cup, Germany will once again assume a central role on the global stage as the chair of the group of eight (G8) industrialized nations.
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Leaders of the world's wealthiest countries - including the United States, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Russia - will meet in Heligendamm on Germany's Baltic coast for three days in June 2007 to discuss international economic and political issues.
As German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares for a one-year term as G8 president - taking over from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hosted the summit in St. Petersburg in July - some observers have already begun to ask what Merkel's influence on this annual meeting of world leaders will be.
The G8 president typically serves as host and chair of the discussions at the summit, and typically plays an important role in steering the agenda. Most experts agree that energy will remain at the top the G8 agenda in 2007.
"Energy has been a dominant and on-going theme here in Europe for the last three years or so. I have the sense that Merkel wants to put her government's stamp on it," says Matthias Kopp of Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Germany about the possibility of a larger emphasis on cleaner and renewable energy sources.
"There is potential for Germany to take a leading role on climate and energy issues," says Kopp. "I'm not saying we are overly optimistic, but Merkel has made energy a key issue."
Turning to Africa
Experts also project that another of Merkel's "stamps" on next year's G8 summit will be a renewed focus on eradicating poverty in the developing world, particularly in Africa, where British Prime Minister Tony Blair had tried to focus G8 interest during the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.
"Merkel will put Africa on the agenda again, which was at the center of the G8 summit in Gleneagles, while it was largely neglected in St. Petersburg (Russia)," says Claudia Schmucker, a fellow at the German Council of Foreign Relations.
"However, Germany will have a different approach on Africa than the UK as Germany was hesitant to support the British "big push" approach and the unconditional debt relief," adds Schmucker. "Instead, Germany will work more in the tradition of the G8 Africa Action plan which was established in Kananaskis, Canada in 2002. In addition, Germany will also continue present initiatives to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and focus on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals."
As the experiences of the last two G8 summits have demonstrated, however, sudden or gradual deterioration of the global security situation can distract G8 countries from addressing long-term solutions to poverty. The July 2005 London subway and bus bombings, for example, overshadowed the Gleneagles G8 summit, while escalating conflicts in the Middle East became a focal point of this year's summit.
"We are seeing a decrease in global security, and civil war in particular, if it escalates then the chances are that G8 will be focused on that, and not, unfortunately, looking perhaps at the more fundamental issue of poverty eradication and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals," says Christina Barrineau, the former chief technical officer of the United Nations Year of Microcredit 2005 and currently advisor to the Millennium Promise project.
"Of course, we feel strongly that the connection between global security and poverty is very, very strong," adds Barrineau. "So, it's our sincere hope that the leaders of the G8 countries realize that without efforts focused on poverty eradication, global security is always going to be at risk."
Much to hope for
Despite the potential obstacles to addressing poverty, Barrineau is encouraged by the "forward-thinking" nature of German companies and government branches that she worked with during the Year of Microcredit.
"I know particularly from the financial sector that many of the German banks and financial institutions have been absolutely fundamental in promoting more democratic or inclusive financial sectors in the developing world," she said.
"The German development agencies, GTZ (Germany Agency for Technical Cooperation) and the KfW (Development Bank) have been very active in promoting very businesslike approaches to addressing issues like poverty and equity. So, my own view is that we have much to hope for. And I think that hope is echoed in many of the development organizations and NGOs that I speak to."
publishing date: October 10, 2006
editor: VW
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