Since 1975, the heads of state or government of the major industrial countries have been meeting annually to deal with the major economic and political issues facing their domestic societies and the international community as a whole. The six countries at the first Summit, held at Rambouillet, France in November 1975, were France, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan and Italy. They were joined by Canada at the San Juan, Puerto Rico Summit of 1976, and by the European Community at the London Summit of 1977. Since then membership in the G7 has been fixed, although 15 developing countries' leaders met with the G7 leaders on the eve of the 1989 Paris Summit, and the USSR and then Russia have had a post-Summit dialogue with the G7 since 1991. Starting with the 1994 Naples Summit, the G7 and Russia have met as the P8 ("Political 8"), following each G7 Summit. The Denver Summit of the Eight was a milestone, marking full Russian participation in all but financial and certain economic discussions; and the 1998 Birmingham Summit saw full Russian participation, giving birth to the G8 (although the G7 continues to function along side the formal summits).
The G7/G8 Summit has consistently dealt with macroeconomic management, international trade, and relations with developing countries. Questions of East-West economic relations, energy, and terrorism have also been of recurrent concern. From this initial foundation the Summit agenda has broadened considerably to include microeconomic issues such as employment and the information highway, transnational issues such as the environment, crime and drugs, and a host of political-security issues ranging from human rights through regional security to arms control. To help manage these issues the G7/G8 has developed a network of supporting ministerial forums: the "Quadrilateral" trade ministers in 1982, foreign ministers in 1984, finance ministers in 1986, ministers of the environment in 1992, employment ministers in 1994, and on terrorism in 1995. G7/G8 ministers have also met on an ad hoc basis to deal with pressing issues, as follows: on assistance to Russia, in spring 1993; on Ukraine, in October 1994 in Winnipeg; on the global information society in February 1995 in Brussels; on crime in 1997; and on energy in 1998. In addition to these ministerial meetings, the G7 leaders have from time to time created task forces or working groups to focus intensively on certain issues of concern; for example, a task force on drug-related money laundering, a nuclear safety working group, and a senior experts' group on transnational organized crime.
The G7/G8 provides an important occasion for busy leaders to discuss major, often complex international issues, and to the develop the personal relations that help them respond in effective collective fashion to sudden crises or shocks. The Summit also gives direction to the international community by setting priorities, defining new issues, and providing guidance to established international organizations. At times it arrives at decisions that address pressing problems or shape international order more generally.
The Summit members comply modestly with the decisions and consensus generated by and codified at their annual Summit. Compliance is particularly high in regard to agreements on international trade and energy, and on the part of Britain, Canada, and Germany. Summit decisions often create and build international regimes to deal with new international challenges, and catalyze, revitalize and reform existing international institutions. In recognition of its centrality in the process of global governance, the Summit since its inception has attracted the attention of thousands of journalists at each leaders' meeting, and of a number of countries seeking admittance to this exclusive and powerful club of rich countries.
