22nd G7 summit
Encyclopedia
The 22nd G7 Summit was held at the in Lyon
, France
between June 27 and 29, 1996. The venue for this summit meeting was the Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon (Musée d'art Contemporain de Lyon). The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by France include: Rambouillet
(1975), Versailles
(1982) and Paris
(1989).
The Group of Seven (G7) was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France
, Germany
, Italy
, Japan
, the United Kingdom
, the United States
, Canada
(since 1976) and the President of the European Commission
(starting officially in 1981). The summits were not meant to be linked formally with wider international institutions; and in fact, a mild rebellion against the stiff formality of other international meetings was a part of the genesis of cooperation between France's President Giscard d'Estaing and West Germany's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt
as they conceived the first Group of Six (G6) summit in 1975.
A pre-summit was held in Moscow, Russia from April 19 to 20 to deal with nuclear security issues.
Victor Chernomyrdin, Prime Minister
.
Also attending were the heads of a number of world financial institutions. United Nations
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
, Secretary-General.
A French priority was the food; and the leaders did eat well. The first night of the three-day summit, they ate a dinner cooked by four chefs from towns and cities around Lyons whose restaurants have won three stars in the Michelin guide. In a serious speech in a related forum at Lyon, the IMF's leader observations about the financial consequences of globalization mirrored this focus on gastronomy when he asked lightly, "Is not France's intellectual -— and culinary! -— capital a supremely well chosen site for deeper reflection and more visionary thought?"
demonstrated the fragile and interconnected nature of modern financial markets; and it suggested inherent dangers of contagion and systemic collapse following a single event. Subsequent meetings continued to explore the avenues for cooperation which were identified at Lyon.
American spending was noteworthy. The U.S. delegation rented an entire hotel(167 rooms), which will serve as the unofficial White House during the Clintons' three-day stay. during the summit, the Sofitel Lyon Bellecour. Special modifications were made to accommodate the special requirements of the Americans. For example, one of the meeting rooms was specially equipped with more than 200 telephones, some of which were directly linked to the White House. The armored presidential limousine which was transported from Washington, D.C. via a jumbo jet; and it will be guarded and garaged at the hotel. Moreover, special generators were temporarily installed to accommodate extra electrical needs; and their capacity would be able to support lighting the entire city of Lyon.
rose garden and dinner at Leon de Lyon, a renowned Lyon restaurant.
With the occasion of the G7, Lyon organised fireworks and a concert featuring Bob Dylan and French rock star Johnny Halliday. The first ladies were invited by Madame Chirac to a visit to the Beaujolais wine region.
A statue was inaugurated in the Parc de la Tete d'Or
by the presidents with inspiration on the saying by Archimedes "Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I could lift the world."
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
between June 27 and 29, 1996. The venue for this summit meeting was the Museum of Contemporary Art, Lyon (Musée d'art Contemporain de Lyon). The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by France include: Rambouillet
Rambouillet
Rambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
(1975), Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
(1982) and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1989).
The Group of Seven (G7) was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(since 1976) and the President of the European Commission
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
(starting officially in 1981). The summits were not meant to be linked formally with wider international institutions; and in fact, a mild rebellion against the stiff formality of other international meetings was a part of the genesis of cooperation between France's President Giscard d'Estaing and West Germany's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt
Helmut Schmidt
Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt is a German Social Democratic politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting...
as they conceived the first Group of Six (G6) summit in 1975.
A pre-summit was held in Moscow, Russia from April 19 to 20 to deal with nuclear security issues.
Leaders at the Summit
The G7 is an unofficial annual forum for the leaders of Canada, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.Core G7 participants
These summit participants were the current "core members" of the international forum:| Core G7 members G8 The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8... Host nation and leader are indicated in bold text. |
|||
| Member | Represented by | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Jean Chrétien Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003.... |
Prime Minister Prime Minister of Canada The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution... |
 |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Jacques Chirac Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the... |
President |
 |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Helmut Kohl Helmut Kohl Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998... |
Chancellor |
 |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Romano Prodi Romano Prodi Romano Prodi is an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy, from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008... |
Prime Minister Prime minister of Italy The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic... |
 |
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Ryutaro Hashimoto Ryutaro Hashimoto was a Japanese politician who served as the 82nd and 83rd Prime Minister of Japan from January 11, 1996 to July 30, 1998. He was the leader of one of the largest factions within the ruling LDP through most of the 1990s and remained a powerful back-room player in Japanese politics until scandal... |
Prime Minister Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office... |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
John Major John Major Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997... |
Prime Minister Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and... |
|
 |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... |
President President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... |
 |
European Commission European Commission The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union.... |
Jacques Santer | President President of the European Commission The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed... |
Invited (partial participation)
Others were invited to join in some of the summit's sessions included the Russian Prime Minister: RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Victor Chernomyrdin, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Russia
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
.
Also attending were the heads of a number of world financial institutions. United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
, Secretary-General.
- International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
Michel CamdessusMichel CamdessusMichel Camdessus is a French applied economist and administrator who was Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund from 16 January 1987 to 14 February 2000. To date, he is the longest serving Managing Director of the IMF....
, Directeur général. - World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
James D. Wolfensohn, President. - World Trade OrganizationWorld Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
Renato RuggieroRenato RuggieroRenato Ruggiero is an Italian politician. He has been director-general of the World Trade Organisation and was briefly the Italian Foreign Minister in 2001.-Biography:...
, Director-General.
Priorities
Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, which take place primarily amongst multi-national civil servants in the weeks before the summit itself, leading to a joint declaration which all countries can agree to sign. President Chirac suggested that the main theme of the summit should be globalization.A French priority was the food; and the leaders did eat well. The first night of the three-day summit, they ate a dinner cooked by four chefs from towns and cities around Lyons whose restaurants have won three stars in the Michelin guide. In a serious speech in a related forum at Lyon, the IMF's leader observations about the financial consequences of globalization mirrored this focus on gastronomy when he asked lightly, "Is not France's intellectual -— and culinary! -— capital a supremely well chosen site for deeper reflection and more visionary thought?"
Issues
The summit was intended as a venue for resolving differences among its members. As a practical matter, the summit was also conceived as an opportunity for its members to give each other mutual encouragement in the face of difficult economic decisions. Issues which were discussed at this summit included:- Strengthening Economic And Monetary Cooperation
- Promoting Strong And Mutually Beneficial Growth Of Trade And Investment
- Enhancing Our Approach To Employment Problems
- Implementing A New Global Partnership For Development: An Ambition For The 21st Century
- Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Multilateral Institutions For The Benefit Of Development
- Providing The Necessary Multilateral Support For Development
- Toward Successful Integration Of Countries In Transition Into The Global Economy
Accomplishments
This G7 summit was an international event was observed and reported by the world news media, with a resulting emphasis upon the worthy and the self-evident. The G7 summits have since mutated into media events, but a few long notable innovations began in this context:Financial crisis and stability
Work in connection with G7 concern about financial market stability began at the Lyon summit. The 1995 collapse of Barings BankBarings Bank
Barings Bank was the oldest merchant bank in London until its collapse in 1995 after one of the bank's employees, Nick Leeson, lost £827 million due to speculative investing, primarily in futures contracts, at the bank's Singapore office.-History:-1762–1890:Barings Bank was founded in 1762 as the...
demonstrated the fragile and interconnected nature of modern financial markets; and it suggested inherent dangers of contagion and systemic collapse following a single event. Subsequent meetings continued to explore the avenues for cooperation which were identified at Lyon.
Transnational organized Crime
Following the Halifax summit in 1995, a group of experts was brought together to investigate better ways to fight transnational crime. This group (later known as the "Lyon Group") proffered forty recommendations which were endorsed by the G7 heads of state at Lyon. The Lyon Group developed sub-groups to address specific crime-related issues (e.g., legal processes for evidence-sharing, high-tech crime, and immigration fraud and human trafficking); and these groups continued to work together in subsequent years..Terrorism
In the wake of a terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia shortly before the summit began, President Clinton tried to encourage discussion about mitigating the growth of international terrorism. Clinton's push for adopting a 40-point list of recommendations against terrorism was good politics; but the elements were in fact only partly aimed at terrorism, being politically "recycled" from work of the task group on transnational crime. The Lyon " Declaration on Terrorism" that was issued immediately after the Working Dinner of the G-7 leaders on JUne 27th.Budget
Summit organizers estimate the costs at about $4 million, but they expected the visitors to spend more than $5 million.American spending was noteworthy. The U.S. delegation rented an entire hotel(167 rooms), which will serve as the unofficial White House during the Clintons' three-day stay. during the summit, the Sofitel Lyon Bellecour. Special modifications were made to accommodate the special requirements of the Americans. For example, one of the meeting rooms was specially equipped with more than 200 telephones, some of which were directly linked to the White House. The armored presidential limousine which was transported from Washington, D.C. via a jumbo jet; and it will be guarded and garaged at the hotel. Moreover, special generators were temporarily installed to accommodate extra electrical needs; and their capacity would be able to support lighting the entire city of Lyon.
Organisation and logistics
The event took place at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The guests had lunch at the nearby Parc de la Tete d'OrParc de la Tête d'Or
Parc de la Tête d'Or , in central Lyon, is an urban park in France, with it is 8.5 times smaller than bois de Vincennes in Paris. Located in the 6th arrondissement, it features a large lake on which boating takes place during the summer months...
rose garden and dinner at Leon de Lyon, a renowned Lyon restaurant.
With the occasion of the G7, Lyon organised fireworks and a concert featuring Bob Dylan and French rock star Johnny Halliday. The first ladies were invited by Madame Chirac to a visit to the Beaujolais wine region.
A statue was inaugurated in the Parc de la Tete d'Or
Parc de la Tête d'Or
Parc de la Tête d'Or , in central Lyon, is an urban park in France, with it is 8.5 times smaller than bois de Vincennes in Paris. Located in the 6th arrondissement, it features a large lake on which boating takes place during the summer months...
by the presidents with inspiration on the saying by Archimedes "Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I could lift the world."
External links
- No official website is created for any G7 summit prior to 1995 -- see the 21st G7 summit.
- University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
: G8 Research GroupG8 research groupThe G8 Research Groups stated mission is to serve as the world’s leading independent source of information, analysis and research on the institutions, issues and members of the Group of Eight and the G8 Summit....
, G8 Information Centre