The Role of the G8 in International Peace and Security
Author(s)
Penttila, Risto E. J.
Abstract
Argues that the G8 is positioned to play an increasingly key role in international peace and security, although the organization has some weaknesses (e.g., lack of institutional memory). In this context, the return of concert diplomacy to international politics is scrutinized. Focus is on G7 and G8 summits, but relevant ministerial meetings, i.e., foreign and finance, are also looked at. In considering the G8 as a concert of powers, reference is made to the 19th-century Concert of Europe and the Contact Group, and the G8’s relationship to the UN Security Council is assessed. Then, development of the G8’s security role is traced since its 1975 inception, and the attitudes of member and nonmember states (e.g., the People’s Republic of China) toward the G8 are evaluated. It is demonstrated that while some members have a clear and positive view on the G8’s security role, others have a more diffuse attitude, noting a lack of common vision regarding the G8’s development as a security actor.
