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Analytical and Compliance Studies

G7 Summit Commitments from Rambouillet 1975 to Charlevoix 2018

John Kirton and Brittaney Warren, G7 Research Group
January 15, 2018

On June 8-9, 2018, in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau will host the 44th annual G7 summit, and Canada's sixth. Canada has defined an agenda centred on the five priorities of

• investing in growth that works for everyone;
• preparing for jobs of the future;
• advancing gender equality and women's empowerment;
• working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy; and
• building a more peaceful and secure world.

Given the urgent challenges facing the global community in these areas, many hope that Canada's Charlevoix Summit will go beyond merely discussing these priorities and setting principled and normative directions on them to making precise, future-oriented, politically obligatory commitments that all members will comply with.

Yet how well do the prospective commitments at Charlevoix match those the G7 has made in the past? The short answer is reasonably well.

Since its start at Rambouillet, France, in November 1975 through to the Taormina Summit in Italy in May 2017, the annual G7 summits made 5,188 collective commitments (see Appendix A). This shows that the G7 summit is no mere photo-op, talk shop or global hot tub party, as many casual observers sometimes charge. Rather, the G7 is a group that makes many, often difficult, decisions, on the central issues that the global community confronts.

These 5,188 commitments span a very broad agenda, including the economic, sustainable development and security domains. Indeed, there are 33 different policy areas in which G7 summits have acted, including those long thought to be carefully guarded within the members' sovereign states (see Appendix B: 1975-1981, Appendix C: 1982-1988, Appendix D: 1989-1995, Appendix E: 1996-2002, Appendix F: 2003-2010, Appendix G: 2011-2017).

Somewhat surprisingly, North-South development ranks first among these policy areas with 669 commitments, or 14%. This suggests that the G7 not only governs itself, but also seeks to do so for those countries that lie outside of the G7 club, including the poorest among them. Some observers might wonder why development in its own right is not among the five priorities for Charlevoix. Many will thus want to see how well development is mainstreamed throughout the five.

Energy ranks second, with 433 commitments or 8%. The momentum catalyzed by the energy crises of the 1970s, which helped create the G7, has continued, and has since been joined by the challenge of creating a clean energy future. This ranking may also reflect the fact that the world has yet to solve the climate change problem caused by dirty energy production and consumption, and by continuing fossil fuel subsidies from many world governments. The Charlevoix Summit seeks to build on the priority past summits have placed on energy, with an emphasis on clean energy.

Health stands third with 403 commitments or 8%. Here the G7 leaders work directly for people by helping the World Health Organization promote better, healthier, longer lives. The G7's emphasis has expanded to focus on HIV/AIDS, maternal, newborn and child health, and, most recently antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and mental health. With AMR and mental health issues on the rise, health is likely to appear among Charlevoix's commitments in some form.

Terrorism ranks fourth with 372 commitments or 7%. This shows that the G7 summit is a global security governor, countering the non-state threats that citizens in some G7 members fear the most. It is likely to take pride of place under Charlevoix's peace and security priority.

Trade stands fifth with 333 commitments or 6%. At a time when populist and protectionist pressures are rising in some key G7 members, and with the World Trade Organization failing to counter those pressures at its ministerial conference last December, Charlevoix will likely — in spite of citizens' criticism of mega-free trade deals — include trade as a way to encourage inclusive economic growth.

Climate change ranks sixth with 315 commitments or 6%. Since its pioneering start in 1979 the G7 has made an important contribution, including with its first commitment in 1985. Moreover, if the G7's climate change and related energy commitments are combined, their total of 748 would vault them into first place, well above their fourth-placed location on the Charlevoix priority list. Such a combination would assume that the climate change and energy commitments are synergistically working in the same direction to enhance ecological quality.

Macroeconomic policy, traditionally at the core of generating economic growth, comes only in ninth place with 259 commitments or 5%. With G7 and global growth now expanding, Charlevoix will focus appropriately on ensuring that this growth benefits all.

One of the ways it will do so will be by promoting gender equality. Indeed, although gender is a stand-alone priority among five, it will be mainstreamed throughout each priority area. This suggests that the number of gender commitments made will be given a boost, thus raising gender up from its current 13th place and 132 commitments.

Thus, so far, Charlevoix priorities match the subjects of past G7 summit promises reasonably well. Charlevoix's challenge will be to have its six priorities work together in a mutually reinforcing way, and to address many of the other issues where the G7 summit has performed well in the past.

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Appendix A: Total Commitments from 1975 to 2017

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Appendix B: Commitments from 1975 to 1981

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Appendix C: Commitments from 1982-1988

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Appendix D: Commitments from 1989-1995

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Appendix E: Total Commitments from 1996 to 2002

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Appendix F: Total Commitments from 2003-2010

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Appendix G: Total Commitments from 2011 to 2017

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