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INTERNATIONAL | FACTS & FIGURES

INSIDE THE G8

WHAT IT IS: The Group of 8 forum is an annual political gathering of governmental leaders of the wealthiest developed countries – it is not an IGO but an informal forum. The members are: , , , , , the UK, the US and (currently suspended as a result of the Crimea crisis). The EU is also represented, but although it holds the privileges and obligations of membership it doesn’t have the right to host or chair a . The forum is THE held in and hosted by a different member country each year. FUNCTION: To discuss global issues such as , crisis EUROPEAN management, global security, energy and terrorism. UNION FRANCE ITALY GERMANY The EU has 28 member states and is EU | G8 | G20 | EU | G8 | EU | G8 | made up of seven institutions located NA | OE | UfM | G20 | NA | OE | G20 | NA | OE | in four different countries: UN/SC UfM | UN UfM | UN François Angela Hollande Prime Minister Merkel President Chancellor 1 Function: Mainly shares legislative and budgetary authority over the EU with the Council of the . It is the only directly elected EU body. It is made up of 751 MEPs – 73 from the UK. EU | NA | OE | Location: Strasbourg, Brussels, UfM | UN President: Martin Schulz (German). Mariano Rajoy Prime Minister THE 2 Function: Comprises all heads of state or government of the EU member states. It decides the EU’s political direction and meets four times a year. It’s the highest CANADA political body of the European Union. CO | EU | G8 | Location: Brussels G20 | NA | OE | UN President: Donald Tusk (Polish). The principal representative of the EU on the world stage, similar to a . Prime Minister THE COUNCIL (of the European Union, also 3 called Council of Ministers) Function: Holds legislative and some limited executive UNITED powers and is the main decision-making body of the Union, STATES in conjunction with the parliament. It is separate from EU | G8 | G20 | NA | OE | UN/SC the European Council. The Council is composed of 28 national ministers (one per state). Those who attend President are the relevant ministers to the subject area to be discussed – for example, agriculture. Location: Brussels President: Rotates between the states every six months. BR | G20 | G20 | G77/24 | G77/24 | UN | US THE UN | US 4 Function: Composed of one ‘commissioner’ from each Cristina state, it is designed to be independent of national interests Dilma Rousseff Fernandez de President Kirchner and to promote the general interest of the EU. The body Prime Minister is responsible for drafting all of the European Union and has a near monopoly on proposing new (bills). It also deals with the day-to-day running of the Union and has the duty of upholding the law and treaties. Location: Brussels President: Jean-Claude Juncker (Luxembourger). The most powerful office in the EU.

COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 5 Function: The CJEU is the EU’s judicial branch and is responsible for interpreting EU law and treaties and ensuring that all EU countries and institutions abide by EU law. Location: Luxembourg LET’S GET President: Koen Lenaerts (Belgian).

THE EUROPEAN 6 Function: This is the central bank for the . It controls monetary policy in the area with a remit to TOGETHER maintain price stability. Location: Frankfurt Here are a few of the regional organisations and political and President: (Italian). economic groupings that along with the UK shape our world THE EUROPEAN COURT OF AUDITORS – and some of the prominent world leaders at the heart of them 7 Function: A court of no judicial powers, it ensures that taxpayer funds from the budget of the European Union have been correctly spent. It is composed of one member from each state. KEY: AL ; AU ; BR One of BRICS nations; CO Commonwealth country; EU Member of European Union; Location: Luxembourg G8 Member of Group of 8; IGO Intergovernmental Organisation; NA NATO; OE OECD; NAM Non-Aligned Movement; President: Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira (Portuguese). SA South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation; UfM Union for Mediterranean; UN member; UN/SC Permanent member of UN Security Council; US Union of South American Nations *See box on European Union 1Suspended

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OTHER GROUPS Germany, , , Italy, Japan, South basis between Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin , , Russia, , and the Caribbean. G7 (economies) Africa, , the and the Finance ministers and central bank governors – along with the EU. G24 from the G8 countries meet to discuss economic This loose chapter of the G77 co-ordinates the policies at several gatherings in a year. G77 positions of developing countries on international The is a loose coalition of developing monetary and development finance issues and G20 countries – all members of the United Nations ensures that their interests are well represented. This is a more informal international forum for – who meet to promote the members’ collective the finance ministers and central bank governors economic interests. Although it first comprised g7+ from 20 major economies, largely to promote 77, the number of founding members of the This IGO brings together countries with recent international financial stability: Argentina, UN, it now has grown to encompass 134 UN experience of conflict and draws attention to the , Brazil, Canada, , France, members. Chairmanship rotates on a regional special challenges facing these ‘fragile states’.

UNITED KINGDOM GREECE ISRAEL CO | EU | G8 | G20 | EU | NA | OE | OE | UfM | UN G77/24 | NAM | UN NA | OE | UfM | UfM | UN Benjamin Hassan Rouhani UN/SC Alexis Tsipras Netanyahu President David Cameron Prime Minster Prime Minister Prime Minister

IRAQ AL | G77 | NAM | UN Haider al-Abadi Prime Minister EUROPEAN UNION G8 | G20 Jean-Claude Juncker (left*) SAUDI ARABIA Donald Tusk AL | G20 | G77 | (right*) NAM | UN King Abdullah King and head of state/government

INDIA BR | CO | G20 | G77/24 | NA | NAM | SA | UN Prime Minister

RUSSIA BR | EU | G81 | G20 | UN/SC President

SOUTH AFRICA AUSTRALIA JAPAN CHINA AU | CO | BR | G20 | CO | G20 | OE | UN G8 | G20 | OE | UN BR | G20 | G77 | G77/24 | NAM | UN Malcolm Turnbull Shinzo Abe UN/SC Jacob Zuma Prime Minister Prime Minister President Premier of the of the People’s Republic of China

economies which discusses how the The North Atlantic Treaty The Union for the Mediterranean MORE LEADING countries could better co-operate Organization (NATO) is an IGO military (UfM) is a partnership of 43 countries ORGANISATIONS in the future: Brazil, Russia, India, alliance where 28 member states – the 28 member states of the EU and WORLDWIDE China and . agree to mutual defence in response to 15 partner countries from North Africa, attack by external parties. the Middle East and Southeast Europe. The Arab League (AL) is a regional The organisation of Arab countries, with 22 is an IGO of 53 member states, mostly The Organisation for Economic The United Nations (UN) is an IGO member states. It aims to create close territories of the former British Empire. Co-operation and Development with 193 member states. The UN relations with each other to safeguard Headed by the Queen, it promotes (OECD) is an international organisation Security Council (UNSC) is one of independence and sovereignty. democracy and individual liberty. of 34 countries aiming to stimulate six main organs of the UN, principally economic progress and world . charged with the maintenance of The African Union (AU) comprises The Non-Aligned Movement international peace and security. 54 countries in Africa with an aim (NAM) is a group of states not The South Asian Association for to promote co-operation among the formally aligned with or against any Regional Co-operation (SAARC) is an The Union of South American independent nations of Africa. major power bloc. Its 120 members economic and geopolitical organisation Nations (USAN) is an IGO comprising from across the globe meet to of eight countries, aiming to foster 12 South American countries to aid BRICS is an acronym for an association represent the interests and priorities more collective self-reliance and the continuing process of South of five major emerging national of developing countries. economic welfare. American integration.

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