1. Informal Forums

2. G7 (Group of 7) Beg. 1976 in Cold War
Canada; France; Japan; Germany; UK; USA; Italy (EU also repp’d)
7 major advanced economies per IMF
> 64% of net global wealth ($263 trillion)
Heads of gov’t meet to discuss econ. policies
May 2016: 42nd summit in Japan
The European Union has participated fully in the G7 since 1981 as a "nonenumerated" member. It is represented by the presidents of the European Council, which represents the EU member states' leaders, and the European Commission, the EU's executive body. There is no formal criteria for membership, but participants are all developed democracies.

4. G8 G7 + 1 became G8 w/ addition of Russia in 1998
Russia suspended in March 2014 after annexation of Crimea (Ukraine)  so, now operating as G7
Maybe back in 2017?
Y8 Summit! 

5. https://www. theguardian

6. G20
Beg (big brother of G8)
Goal – int’l financial stability  “big issues” (fixing/ preventing economic crises)
19 individual countries + EU
(G8 + Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, S. Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey)
~85% of gross world product; 80% of world trade; 2/3 world population

7. Praise & Criticism of G-summits
Good! 
Bad! 
Smaller grp = more efficient?
Works w/ issues not solved elsewhere Expansion past G8 = impt emerging countries
Informal  dialogue!
Forum, not supranational
Host = prestige
Self-appointed
Exclusive (even G20 is 1/5 of world’s countries)
Weight of G8-ers in G20
Legitimacy?
Africa?
Follow-through?
Informal
+ or -? Relies on orgs to address identified issues

8. CNN Explains: G-What? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m54CvSWKiMI

9. World Economic Forum Est. 1971
public-private cooperation (CEOs + heads of state + policy-makers + academics + orgs + etc)
Meet 4x/yr