Canada will assume the presidency of the G7 in 2025, leading a forum that will bring together seven of the world’s most complex economies at a time of political instability at home and around the world.
Here’s a look at what it means to host the G7 and what it’s all about.
The G7 includes the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union. For five decades, the group’s governments have co-ordinated how liberal democracies respond to economic and societal challenges.
The G7 has no statutes, offices or permanent administration. Make decisions by consensus, formal voting.
The rotating presidency attends a series of meetings across the host country for the most sensible officials from the G7 countries, who coordinate policies ranging from defense to virtual regulation. Some meetings involve civil society groups, business leaders and trade unions.
The welcome concludes with a leaders’ summit, where heads of government meet to take stock of key global challenges. It ends with a statement that sets the tone for other industrialized democracies and can shape the global policies of the United Nations.
Canada joined the organization in 1976 and will chair it for the seventh time this year. Ottawa plans to host the leaders’ summit June 15-17 in Kananaskis, Alberta.
Canada is also known for the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto, an independent project that monitors countries’ compliance with G7 commitments.
Russia had been a member of the organization since 1997, making it the G8, until other members expelled Moscow in 2014 for invading Ukraine.
U. S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan designates the G7 as the “steering committee of the free world” in 2022.
Sen. Peter Boehm, a former diplomat who played a central role in Canada’s participation in the G7 for decades, said it’s a key tool for Canada to exert influence and safeguard economic and security interests. “Our participation in the G7 is is potentially the jewel of the crown of our foreign policy,” he said.
Initially, the organization focused heavily on economic issues, but the rise of countries such as China and India has led the G7 to focus on the rule of law, human rights, and open markets.
The G7 also spurs projects, like a monitoring service led by Canada that tracks how adversarial countries spread disinformation, particularly through social media during general elections.
When hosting the G7, countries launch a “signature initiative,” typically a multi-year, progressive endeavor that receives significant investment from peer countries.
Canada last hosted in 2018 in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, where the Liberals rallied nearly $3.8 billion for educating women and girls in crisis and conflict situations. In Huntsville, Ont., in 2010, the Conservatives pledged $1.1 billion for maternal health, and got peer countries to focus part of their aid budgets on this cause.
Boehm says the summits feature “frank, impromptu discussions between leaders” who agree, “despite the near-universal skepticism of new participants. “
Global Affairs Canada has only said so far that Canada will promote “shared priorities, such as win-win construction economies, combating climate change, and managing evolving technologies. “
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed to projects that examine how synthetic intelligence can be used without violating human rights and democratic values, and said last week he would protect “peace and freedom for Ukraine. “
G7 leaders pledge to lend Ukraine US$50 billion from seized Russian assets
He is widely expected to stick to some of Canada’s most sensible global priorities, such as supporting Ukraine, fighting foreign interference and reforming monetary agencies like the World Bank so they can better serve emerging countries.
Boehm said Trudeau could simply try to shore up his proposal for the World Health Organization or subscribe to calls to reform the institution. US President-elect Donald Trump has sought to withdraw from the agency, although it could be very important in the fight against a bird flu pandemic.
Civil society teams have proposed other priorities, such as mobilizing Western countries to confiscate Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s war effort and reversing cuts in foreign aid spending. since the COVID-19 pandemic, which have hindered progress in eliminating primary diseases.
Former Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy and others have argued that Canada deserves to revive a 2002 initiative to reduce chemical and nuclear weapons arsenals. Axworthy said this could help identify safeguards to prevent nuclear-powered countries from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“I think this opportunity with the G7 is a chance for Canada to regain its footing and be an effective diplomatic player in the world. I think we’ve left a lot of that behind,” he said. he declared on the Global Exchange Podcast published through the Canadian Institute of Global Affairs last October.
As last year’s host country, Italy hosted 24 meetings between March and November 2024, ranging from an assembly of tourism ministers to one on science and technology.
Boehm said Canada will most likely hold fewer meetings and organize them in pairs, asking foreign and defense ministers to hold parallel meetings in a city and then a joint meeting. He said Ottawa did this last time to restrain high security costs.
“The challenge for Canada will be the timing and how it will fit into our political and electoral calendar, but also what kind of projects to implement and where consensus can be reached,” Boehm said.
The timing has already been a challenge for Ottawa. Last year, Trudeau failed to meet his goal at the North American Leaders’ Summit, which some, like Boehm, characterized as a complicated timeline amid elections in the United States and Mexico.
Meanwhile, Canada will have to decide who to invite to the summit. The 2018 Canadian summit brought together leaders from island countries who discussed the impact of climate pollution and plastic pollutants on the oceans.
South Africa chairs this year’s G20, a much broader organization that has far less consensus than the G7, and Boehm said it would be “very smart” for the country to be represented in Alberta. South Korea has said it needs to register with the G7 as a permanent member.
The last time Canada hosted the G7, Trump overshadowed the leaders’ summit in his first term by refusing to sign the communique. He left early and criticized Trudeau as “very cheating and weak” in an argument over tariffs.
Boehm said the communique required two late nights of negotiations because the Trump administration didn’t align with the others on climate change or on how to prevent Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons.
He noted that some summits end with the host country issuing a statement that summarizes the negotiations if the countries cannot reach consensus, which he said Canada avoided last time.
Trump’s return to the White House this month has cast new uncertainty on the G7, given his preference for making deals directly instead of working within multilateral groups.
Boehm says the G7 is much more important to Canada than the U.S., and Ottawa must co-ordinate with whoever is in Trump’s inner circle, especially if he continually replaces his main team.
Meanwhile, Canadian immigration lawyers say Trump has been technically barred from entering Canada since a New York court deemed him a convicted felon last May. This means that you would possibly need a special permit from Ottawa to enter the country.
Quebec Liberal MPs join calls for Trudeau to leave as reserve of national support
Ahead of the political tumult last month, Trudeau had repeatedly spoken about his looming role chairing the G7 summit in June, leading observers to believe he would try his best to keep his minority government in office until the fall.
However, the surprise resignation of former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and the resulting unrest within the caucus could see Trudeau ousted in a vote of confidence, sending Canadians to the polls.
If Trudeau presides over the G7 summit in June, he will be the longest-serving among his peers, Boehm said. “You’ll get a sense of what you need and what questions and topics are most relevant. “
Boehm added he has “full confidence” in Canada’s officials to have a successful G7 term, regardless of who is prime minister.
Public Relations, CBC P. O. Box 500, Branch A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6
Toll-free (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636
CBC/Radio-Canada’s priority is to create products that are available to everyone in Canada, adding others with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive difficulties.
Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem.