IAS 5th Sem

Sr. No. 1 2 3. 4.
Topic G-7 G-8 G-20 OPEC
Page number 2 ,3 4-14 15-27 27-36
Site link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8 http://vreelander.blogspot.in/2010/11/g20-revisited-ask-it-sam.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-20_major_economies http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/25.htm http://iasblogz.blogspot.in/2011/04/mnemonics-for-ias.html http://riseofthepolyglot.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/how-to-learnthe-10-asean-nations-using-thailands-got-talent/#more-139 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations http://www.go4quiz.com/1153/saarc-countries/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_India http://sapost.blogspot.in/2012/07/list-of-indian-prime-ministers1947.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_India http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_India http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vice_Presidents_of_India
5.
ASEAN
37-46
6. 7. 8. 9.
SAARC Grand Slam Federalism Indian PMs
47-55 56 56 57-58
10. 11.
Indian PRez Vice Prez
58-62 62-63
G7-------FIG JUG + CANADA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see G7 (disambiguation). "Group of Six" redirects here. For other uses, see G6 (disambiguation).
G7 finance ministers at the 2008 meeting (front row, L-R): Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Italy's Finance Minister Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Japan's Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and Chairman of the Eurogroup, Jean-Claude Juncker.
The G7, or G-7, is a group consisting of the finance ministers of seven developed nations: the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan. They are the seven developed wealthiest nations on Earth by global net wealth. The G7 represents more than the 66% of net global wealth ($223 trillion), according to Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report September 2012. The last meeting of the G7 took place in May 2013 in Aylesbury in the United Kingdom. Other meetings of the G7 are already planned.
History[edit source | editbeta]

The G7 began in 1975 as the Group of Six and included the countries of France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, andUnited States and was joined by Canada the following year.[1] Collectively, the G7 nations comprised 50.4% of global nominal GDP and 39.3% of global GDP (PPP). This group meets several times a year to discuss economic policies. Their work is supported by regular, functional meetings of officials, including the G7 finance disputes. [2]
The G7 met in Washington, D.C., twice in 2008[3] and in February 2009, in Rome, to discuss the global financial crisis of 20072010.[4][5]The group of finance ministers has pledged to take "all necessary steps" to stem the crisis. [6]
Date
Host country
Host leader
Location held
November 1517, 1975
France
Jean-Pierre Fourcade
Chteau de Rambouillet, Rambouillet
June 2728, 1976
United States
Jan Jordan Rodriguez
Dorado Beach Hotel, Dorado, Puerto Rico
May 78, 1977
United Kingdom
Denis Healey
10 Downing Street, London
July 1617, 1978
West Germany Hans Matthfer
Official residence of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of GermanyBonn
May 2830, 1983
United States
Ronald Reagan
Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia
June 1923, 1988
Canada
Michael Wilson
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario
July 911, 1990
United States
James Baker
Rice University and other locations in the Museum District Houston,Texas
June 1517, 1995
Canada
Paul Martin
Summit Place, Halifax. Nova Scotia
June 2729, 1996
France
Jean Arthuis
Museum of Contemporary Art (Muse d'art Contemporain de Lyon),Lyon
February 1113, 2001
Italy
Vincenzo Visco
Palermo
February 68, 2010
Canada
Jim Flaherty
Iqaluit, Nunavut
10-11 May, 2013
United Kingdom
George Osbourne
Hartwell House Hotel and Spa, Aylesbury
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G8
"Group of Eight" redirects here. For other uses, see G8 (disambiguation).

Group of Eight
Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper France President Franois Hollande Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel Italy Prime Minister Enrico Letta Japan Prime Minister Shinz Abe Russia President Vladimir Putin United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron President of the G8 for 2013 United States of America
President Barack Obama Also represented European Union Council President Herman Van Rompuy Commission President Jos Manuel Barroso
The Group of Eight (G8) is a forum for the governments of eight of the world's largest national economies; not included areBrazil at 7th and China at 2nd.[1] The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the Group of Seven or G7 the following year with the addition of Canada. The G7 is composed by the 7 developed wealthiest countries on Earth (as national net wealth) and by the 7 developed wealthiest countries on Earth by GDP,[1] and it remains active despite the creation of the G8. In 1997,Russia was added to the group which then became known as the G8.[2] The European Union is represented within the G8 but cannot host or chair summits.[3] "G8" can refer to the member states in aggregate or to the annual summit meeting of the G8 heads of government. The former term, G6, is now frequently applied to the six most populous countries within the European Union. G8 ministers also meet throughout the year, such as the G7/8 finance ministers (who meet four times a year), G8 foreign ministers, or G8 environment ministers. Collectively, the G8 nations comprise 50.1% of 2012 global nominal GDP and 40.9% of global GDP (PPP). Each calendar year, the responsibility of hosting the G8 rotates through the member states in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada. The holder of the presidency sets the agenda, hosts the summit for that year, and determines which ministerial meetings will take place. Lately, both France and the United Kingdom have expressed a desire to expand the group to include five developing countries, referred to as the Outreach Five (O5) or the Plus Five: Brazil (6th country in the world by GDP [1]), People's Republic of China (2nd country in the world by GDP [1]), India (9th country in the world by GDP [4]), Mexico, and South Africa. These countries have participated as guests in previous meetings, which are sometimes called G8+5. With the G-20 major economies growing in stature since the 2008 Washington summit, world leaders from the group announced at their Pittsburgh summit on September 25, 2009, that the group will replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations.[5][6]
At the 34th G8 Summit at Toyako, Hokkaido, formal photo during Tanabata matsuri event for world leaders Silvio Berlusconi (Italy), Dmitry Medvedev (Russia), Angela Merkel (Germany),Gordon Brown (UK), Yasuo Fukuda (Japan),George W. Bush (US), Stephen Harper(Canada), Nicolas Sarkozy (France), Jos Manuel Barroso (EU) July 7, 2008.
The concept of a forum for the world's major industrialized democracies emerged following the 1973 oil crisis. On Sunday, March 25, 1973, Secretary of State George Shultz convened an informal gathering of representatives from Western Germany (Helmut Schmidt), France (Valry Giscard d'Estaing), and Britain (Anthony Barber) before an upcoming meeting in Washington DC. When running the idea past President Nixon, he noted that he would be out of town, and offered use of the White House;
the meeting was subsequently held in the library on the ground floor.[7] Taking their name from the setting, this original group of four became known as the "Library Group".[8] In mid-1973, at the World Bank-IMF meetings, Shultz proposed the addition of Japan to the original four nations, who agreed.[9] The informal gathering of senior financial officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, West Germany, Japan, and France became known as the "Group of Five."[10] This cooperation took the next step in 1975, with Schmidt and d'Estaing both serving as heads of state in their respective countries. After mentioning the idea to President Ford and Henry Kissinger that democratic leaders should meet in a similar manner as the library group, Schmidt and d'Estaing arranged a meeting with George Shultz at Marly, near Versailles, in France. Shultz claims this is where the idea of the "Summit Seven" was originally born.[11] In 1975, French President Valry Giscard d'Estaing invited the heads of government from West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to a summit in Chteau de Rambouillet; the annual meeting of the six leaders was organized under a rotating presidency, forming the Group of Six (G6). The following year, Canada joined the group at the behest of Germany's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and U.S. President Gerald Ford[12] and the group became the Group of Seven (G7). The European Union is represented by the President of the European Commission and the leader of the country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The President of the European Commission has attended all meetings since first invited by the United Kingdom in 1977[13] and the Council President now also regularly attends. Following 1994's G7 summit in Naples, Russian officials held separate meetings with leaders of the G7 after the group's summits. This informal arrangement was dubbed the Political 8 (P8) or, colloquially, the G7+1. At the invitation of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and President of the United States Bill Clinton,[14] Russia formally joined the group in 1997, resulting in the Group of Eight, or G8.
Food[edit source | editbeta]

A major focus of the G8 since 2009 has been the global supply of food.[15] At the 2009 L'Aquila summit, the G8's members promised to contribute $20 billion to the issue over three years.[16] Since then, only 22% of the promised funds have been delivered.[17] At the 2012 summit, President Barack Obama plans to ask G8 leaders to adopt a policy that would privatize global food investment.[18][19]
Structure and activities[edit source | editbeta]
Leaders of the G8 on 7 June 2007, inHeiligendamm, Germany
By design, the G8 deliberately lacks an administrative structure like those for international organizations, such as the United Nationsor the World Bank. The group does not have a permanent secretariat, or offices for its members.
The presidency of the group rotates annually among member countries, with each new term beginning on 1 January of the year. The country holding the presidency is responsible for planning and hosting a series of ministerial-level meetings, leading up to a mid-year summit attended by the heads of government. The president of the European Commission participates as an equal in all summit events.[20] The ministerial meetings bring together ministers responsible for various portfolios to discuss issues of mutual or global concern. The range of topics include health, law enforcement, labor, economic and social development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism, and trade. There are also a separate set of meetings known as the G8+5, created during the 2005 Gleneagles, Scotland summit, that is attended by finance and energy ministers from all eight member countries in addition to the five "outreach countries" which are also known as the Group of Five Brazil, People's Republic of China, India, Mexico, and South Africa.[21] In June 2005, justice ministers and interior ministers from the G8 countries agreed to launch an international database on pedophiles.[22] The G8 officials also agreed to pool data on terrorism, subject to restrictions by privacy and security laws in individual countries.[23]
Global energy[edit source | editbeta]

Main articles: International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation and Climate Investment Funds
G8 leaders confer during the 2009 summit inL'Aquila (Abruzzo, Italy).
At the Heiligendamm Summit in 2007, the G8 acknowledged a proposal from the EU for a worldwide initiative on efficient energy use. They agreed to explore, along with the International Energy Agency, the most effective means to promote energy efficiency internationally. A year later, on 8 June 2008, the G8 along with China, India, South Korea and the European Community established the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, at the Energy Ministerial meeting hosted by Japan holding 2008 G8 Presidency, in Aomori.[24] G8 Finance Ministers, whilst in preparation for the 34th Summit of the G8 Heads of State and Government in Toyako, Hokkaido, met on the 13 and 14 June 2008, in Osaka, Japan. They agreed to the G8 Action Plan for Climate Change to Enhance the Engagement of Private and Public Financial Institutions. In closing, Ministers supported the launch of new Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) by theWorld Bank, which will help existing efforts until a new framework under the UNFCCC is implemented after 2012. The UNFCCC is not on track to meeting any of its stated goals.[25]
Annual summit[edit source | editbeta]

The annual G8 leaders summit is attended by the heads of government.[26] The member country holding the G8 presidency is responsible for organizing and hosting the year's summit. The serial annual summits can be parsed chronologically in arguably distinct ways, including as the sequence of host countries for the summits has recurred over time, series, etc.[27]
Date Host country Host leader Location held Website Notes
1st
November 1517, 1975
France
Valry Giscard d'Estaing
Rambouillet (Castle of Rambouillet)
G6 Summit
2nd
June 2728, 1976
United States
Gerald R. Ford
Dorado, Puerto Rico[28]
Also called "Rambouillet II;" Canada joins the group, forming the G7[28]
3rd
May 78, 1977
United Kingdom
James Callaghan
London
President of the European Commission is invited to join the annual G-7 summits
4th
July 1617, 1978
West Germany
Helmut Schmidt
Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
5th
June 2829, 1979
Japan
Masayoshi hira
Tokyo
6th
June 2223, 1980
Italy
Francesco Cossiga
Venice
7th
July 2021, 1981
Canada
Pierre E. Trudeau
Montebello, Quebec
8th
June 46, 1982
France
Franois Mitterrand
Versailles
9th
May 2830, 1983
United States
Ronald Reagan
Williamsburg, Virginia
10th June 79, 1984
United Kingdom
Margaret Thatcher
London
11th May 24, 1985
West Germany
Helmut Kohl
Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
12th May 46, 1986
Japan
Yasuhiro Nakasone
Tokyo
13th June 810, 1987
Italy
Amintore Fanfani
Venice
14th June 1921, 1988
Canada
Brian Mulroney
Toronto
15th July 1416, 1989
France
Franois Mitterrand
Paris
16th July 911, 1990
United States
George H. W. Bush
Houston
17th July 1517, 1991
United Kingdom
John Major
London
18th July 68, 1992
Germany
Helmut Kohl
Munich, Bavaria
19th July 79, 1993
Japan
Kiichi Miyazawa
Tokyo
20th July 810, 1994
Italy
Silvio Berlusconi
Naples
21st June 1517, 1995
Canada
Jean Chrtien
Halifax, Nova Scotia
[29]
22nd June 2729, 1996
France
Jacques Chirac
Lyon
International organizations' debut to G8 Summits periodically. The invited ones here were: United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.[30]
23rd June 2022, 1997
United States
Bill Clinton
Denver
[31]
Russia joins the group, forming G8
24th May 1517, 1998
United Kingdom
Tony Blair
Birmingham
[32]
25th June 1820, 1999
Germany
Gerhard Schrder
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia
[33]
First Summit of the G-20 major economies at Berlin
26th July 2123, 2000
Japan
Yoshiro Mori
Nago, Okinawa
[34]
Formation of the G8+5 starts, when South Africa was invited. Until the 38th G8 summit in 2012, it has been invited to the Summit annually without interruption. Also, with permission from a G8 leader, other nations were invited to the Summit on a periodical basis for the first time. Nigeria, Algeria and Senegal accepted their invitations here. TheWorld Health Organization was also invited for the first time.[30]
27th July 2022, 2001
Italy
Silvio Berlusconi
Genoa
[35]
Leaders from Bangladesh, Mali and El Salvador accepted their invitations
here.[30] Demonstrator Carlo Giuliani is shot and killed by police during a violent demonstration. One of the largest and most violent anti-globalization movement protests occurred for the 27th G8 summit.[36] Following those events and the September 11 attackstwo months later in 2001, the G8 have met at more remote locations.
28th June 2627, 2002
Canada
Jean Chrtien
Kananaskis, Alberta
[37]
Russia gains permission to officially host a G8 Summit.
29th June 23, 2003
France
Jacques Chirac
vian-les-Bains
[2]
The G8+5 was unofficially made, when China, India, Brazil, and Mexico were invited to this Summit for the first time. South Africa has joined the G8 Summit, since 2000, until the 2012 edition. Other first-time nations that were invited by the French president included: Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Switzerland.[30]
30th June 810, 2004
United States
George W. Bush
Sea Island, Georgia
[38]
A record number of leaders from 12 different nations accepted their invitations here. Amongst a couple of veteran nations, the others were: Ghana, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Yemen and Uganda.[30] Also, the state funeral of former president Ronald Reagan took place in Washington during the summit.
31st July 68, 2005
United Kingdom
Tony Blair
Gleneagles
[39]
The G8+5 was officially formed. On the second day of the meeting, suicide bombers killed 52 people on the London Underground and a bus. Nations that were invited for the first time were Ethiopia and Tanzania. The African Union and the International Energy Agencymade their debut here.[30] During the 31st G8 summit in United Kingdom, 225,000 people took to the streets of Edinburgh as part of the Make Poverty History campaign calling for Trade Justice, Debt
Relief and Better Aid. Numerous other demonstrations also took place challenging the legitimacy of the G8.[40]
32nd July 1517, 2006
Russia
Vladimir Putin
Strelna, St. Petersburg
[3]
First G8 Summit on Russian soil. Also, the International Atomic Energy Agency and UNESCO made their debut here.[30]
33rd June 68, 2007
Germany
Angela Merkel
Heiligendamm, MecklenburgVorpommern
[4]
Seven different international organizations accepted their invitations to this Summit. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Commonwealth of Independent States made their debut here.[30]
34th July 79, 2008
Japan
Yasuo Fukuda
Toyako (Lake Toya), Hokkaido
[41]
Nations that accepted their G8 Summit invitations for the first time are: Australia, Indonesia and South Korea.[30]
35th July 810, 2009
Italy
Silvio Berlusconi
L'Aquila, Abruzzo
[5]
This G8 Summit was originally planned to be in La Maddalena(Sardinia), but was moved to L'Aquila as a way of showing Prime Minister Berlusconi's desire to help the region in and around L'Aquila after the earthquake that hit the area on the April 6th, 2009. Nations that accepted their invitations for the first time were: Angola, Denmark, Netherlands and Spain.[42] A record of TEN (10) international organizations were represented in this G8 Summit. For the first time, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, and the International Labour Organization accepted their invitations.[43]
36th June 2526, 2010[44]
Canada
Stephen Harper
Huntsville, Ontario[45]
[46]
Malawi, Colombia, Haiti, and Jamaica accepted their invitations for the first time.[47]
37th May 2627, 2011
France
Nicolas Sarkozy
Deauville,[48][49] Basse-Normandie
[6]
Guinea, Niger, Cte d'Ivoire and Tunisia accepted their invitations for the first time. Also, the League of Arab States made its debut to the meeting.[50]
38th May 1819, 2012
United States
Barack Obama
Camp David[51]
[7]
The summit was originally planned for Chicago, along with the NATO summit, but it was announced officially on March 5, 2012, that the G8 summit will be held at the more private location of Camp David and at one day earlier than previously scheduled.[52] Also, this is the first G8 summit, in which one of the core leaders (Vladimir Putin) declined to participate because of speculative reasons. This G8 summit concentrated on the core leaders only; no non-G8 leaders or international organizations were invited.
39th June 1718, 2013
United Kingdom
David Cameron
Lough Erne, County Fermanagh[53]
[8]
Like in 2012, only the core members of the G8 attended this meeting. The four main topics that were discussed here were trade, government transparency, tackling tax evasion, and the ongoing Syrian crisis.[54]
40th June 45, 2014
Russia
Vladimir Putin
Sochi[55]
The G8 leaders at the 36th summit inHuntsville, Ontario. Left to right: Cameron,Van Rompuy (EU), Harper, Medvedev, Kan,Berlusconi, Obama, Barroso (EC), Merkel,Sarkozy.
Member facts[edit source | editbeta]

These G8 countries represent:
7 of the 7 top-ranked developed countries with the highest national net wealth (USA, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Canada) also known as G7.
7 of the 15 top-ranked countries with the highest net wealth per capita (USA, France, Japan, UK, Italy, Canada, Germany)
8 of 12 top-ranked leading export countries.[56] 6 of 10 top-ranked countries with the largest gold reserves (U.S., Germany, Italy, France, Russia and Japan).
8 of 11 top-ranked economies (by nominal GDP), according to latest (2012 data) International Monetary Fund's statistics.
5 countries with a nominal GDP per capita above US$40,000 (Canada, U.S., Japan, Germany, France).
5 countries with a sovereign wealth fund, administered by either a national or a state/provincial government (Russia, U.S., France, Canada, Italy).[57]
8 of 30 top-ranked nations with large amounts of foreign-exchange reserves in their central banks.
4 out of 9 countries having nuclear weapons (France, Russia, UK, U.S.).[58][59] 3 countries that have nuclear weapons sharing programs (Canada, Germany, Italy).[60][61][62] 7 of the 9 largest nuclear energy producers (U.S., France, Japan, Russia, Germany, Canada, UK), even though Germany will wean itself from nuclear power by 2022.[63] As with Japan, it shut down all of its nuclear reactors because of the earthquake in 2011; the first time the nation has gone nuclear-free since 1970.[64] However, in July 2012, Japan restarted two nuclear reactors at the i Nuclear Power Plant. These reactors are the only ones currently in operation at this time.
8 of the 15 top donors to the UN budget for the 2013 annual fiscal year. 4 countries with a HDI index for 2013 of 0.9 and higher (U.S., Germany, Japan, Canada).
With G8+5 and the G20[edit source | editbeta]
all G8 countries became members of the unofficial trillion dollar club (countries with a nominal GDP in excess of US$1 trillion) by 2005. Today, 14 (out of the total of 15 so far) countries in the world are members of both the unofficial club and the G-20 major economies group.
all of the G8, 15 (out of 19) of the G-20, and 12 (out of 13) G8+5-countries (minus South Africa) are among the 20 top-ranked nations by the amount of voting power and special drawing rights (SDRs) in the International Monetary Fund.
7 (out of 8) G8 countries (minus Russia) and 3 distinct members of the G-20 only (which are Australia, South Korea, and Argentina) have a HDI index of 0.8 or higher for 2013.
Cumulative influence of member nations[edit source | editbeta]

Together the eight countries making up the G8 represent about 14% of the world population, but they represent about 60% of the gross world product[65] as measured by gross domestic product, all eight nations being within the top 12 countries according to the CIA World Factbook. (see the CIA World Factbook column in List of countries by GDP (nominal)), the majority of
global military power (seven are in the top 8 nations for military expenditure[66]), and almost all of the world's active nuclear weapons.[67] In 2007, the combined G8 military spending was US$850 billion. This is 72% of the world's total military expenditures. (see List of countries and federations by military expenditures) Four of the G8 members, the United Kingdom, United States, France and Russia, together account for 9699% of the world's nuclear weapons.[68] (see List of states with nuclear weapons)
Criticism[edit source | editbeta]
20 July 2001, 27th G8 summit in Genoa, Italy: Protesters burn a police vehicle which was abandoned by police during a clash with protesters.
Some criticism centres on the assertion that members of G8 do not do enough to help global problems such as Third World Debt, global warming and the AIDS epidemicdue to strict medicine patent policy and other issues related to globalization. In Unravelling Global Apartheid, the political analyst Titus Alexander described the G7, as it then was, as the 'cabinet' of global minority rule, with a coordinating role in world affairs.[69] The conservative Heritage Foundation has criticized the G8 for advocating food security without making room for economic freedom.[70] Protesters in London 2013 have carried slogans such as "against the 1%" as a reference to an increasing concentration of wealth and influence.
Decline[edit source | editbeta]

The G8's relevance is unclear.[71] Critics argue that the G8 has now become unrepresentative of the world's most powerful economies. In particular, China has surpassed every economy but the United States,[72] while Brazil has surpassed Canada and Italy (according to the IMF). Also according to the International Monetary Fund and the CIA World Factbook, India has already surpassed Japan in terms of purchasing power parity, although remaining on the 10th position when it comes to Real GDP. This has given rise to the idea of enlarging G8 to the G8+5, which includes these other economically powerful nations. Other critics assert, however, that the concept of a country's net wealth is different than the nation's GDP. With Vladimir Putin not attending the 2012 G8 summit at Camp David, there is credence that the summit has generally outlived its usefulness, as a viable international gathering of foreign leaders.[73] As a result of that decision, one Foreign Policy magazine contributor stated that Russia should be deleted from the G8 altogether.[74][75] However, another FP contributor commented that the G8 is still relevant, despite the increasing international power and prestige of the G-20 major economies leaders' summit.[76]
G20 Revisited: ASK IT SAM!

As the G20 Summit closes, I wanted to return to something I posted about over the summer. Once again, we see that the G20 doesn't actually accomplish anything. It is perhaps a useful forum to focus the world's attention on global economic issues, but what is really important about the G20 is not what it does. What is important about the G20 is what it represents: The arrival of the emerging market countries!
If this observation is correct, however, then it's a shame that most people cannot name the members of the G20 (even most scholars of International Relations fail the test). Learning their names will give you a sense of the major players in international relations... and learning who's *not* in is also interesting (see what I said about Iran here).
So, I came up with a mnemonic device to help people remember:
G7 + BRIC + EU + MAKTISAS
The details are in the previous post. Briefly, the G7 comprises the major players of the last 3 decades of the 20th Century you should definitely know them. BRIC stands for the 4 biggest emerging markets, you should know them too. EU? That's the seat on the G20 going to the European Union countries not already represented by the G7 (yeah, the EU gets separate seats for Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and then one more for good measure... also note that there are not actually 20 countries in the G20, only 19, with the 20th seat going to the EU).
That leaves 8 countries. They're the tough ones to remember, so I came up with this word, "MAKTISAS," where each letter stands for one of the remaining countries. The nice thing about it is that it also roughly orders the countries in terms of gross national product (GDP). Buuuut, as many of my friends have pointed out, MAKTISAS only works as a mnemonic device if you can actually remember the made up word, something that has proven to be difficult. Sooo, my good friend and coauthor, Raj Desai, came up with an easier acronym to remember:
ASK IT SAM!
A=Australia S=Saudi Arabia K=Korea (South, duh!)
I=Indonesia T=Turkey
S=South Africa A=Argentina M=Mexico
So, there you have it:
G7 + BRIC + EU + ASK IT SAM!
The full list, in order of GDP (2010 US$ estimates from the International Monetary Fund), is thus:
United States ($14.6 trillion) Rest of the EU* ($6.0 trillion) China ($5.7 trillion) Japan ($5.4 trillion) Germany ($3.3 trillion) France ($2.6 trillion) United Kingdom ($2.3) Italy ($2.0 trillion) Brazil ($2.0 trillion) Canada ($1.6 trillion) Russia ($1.5 trillion) India ($1.4 trillion) Australia ($1.2 trillion) Mexico ($1.0 trillion) Korea ($986 billion) Turkey ($729 billion) Indonesia ($695 billion) Saudi Arabia ($434 billion) South Africa ($354 billion) Argentina ($351 billion)
*Rest of the EU excludes Germany, France, United Kingdom, & Italy. If they are double-counted, then the total EU GDP is $16.1 trillion
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G-20 major economies

"G20" redirects here. For other uses, see G20 (disambiguation)
Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
Member countries in the G-20 Permanent guest Members of the European Union not individually represented Abbreviation G-20 or G20 Formation 1999 2008 (Heads of State Summits) Purpose/focus Bring together systemically important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy.[1] Membership 20[show]
Current chair Russia (2013) Staff Website None[2] www.g20.org
The Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (also known as the G-20, G20, and Group of Twenty) is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 major economies: 19 countries plus the European Union, which is represented by the President of the European Council and by the European Central Bank.[2] The G-20 heads of government or heads of state have also periodically conferred at summits since their initial meeting in 2008. Collectively, the G20 economies account for approximately 80 percent of the gross world product (GWP),[3] 80 percent of world trade (including EU intra-trade), and two-thirds of the world population.[2]
The G-20 was proposed by former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin[4] as a forum for cooperation and consultation on matters pertaining to the international financial system. The group was formally inaugurated in September 1999, and held its first meeting in December 1999. It studies, reviews, and promotes high-level discussion of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability, and seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization. With the G-20 growing in stature after the 2008 Washington summit, its leaders announced on 25 September 2009, that the group would replace the G8 as the main economic council of wealthy nations.[5] Since its inception, the G-20's membership policies have been criticized by numerous intellectuals,[6][7] and its summits have been a focus for major protests.[8] The heads of the G-20 nations met semi-annually at G-20 summits between 2008 and 2011. Since the November 2011 Cannes summit, all G-20 summits have been held annually.[2] Russia currently holds the chair of the G-20, and hosted the eighth G-20 summit in September 2013.[9] The G-20, which superseded the G33 (which had itself superseded the G22), was foreshadowed at the Cologne Summit of the G7 in June 1999, but was only formally established at the G7 Finance Ministers' meeting on 26 September 1999. The inaugural meeting took place on 1516 December 1999 in Berlin. In 2008, Spain and the Netherlands were included, by French invitation, in the G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy. The theme of the 2006 G-20 meeting was "Building and Sustaining Prosperity". The issues discussed included domestic reforms to achieve "sustained growth", global energy and resource commodity markets, 'reform' of the World Bank and IMF, and the impact of demographic changes due to an aging population. Trevor A. Manuel, the South African Minister of Finance, was the chairperson of the G-20 when South Africa hosted the Secretariat in 2007. Guido Mantega, Brazil's Minister of Finance, was the chairperson of the G-20 in 2008; Brazil proposed dialogue on competition in financial markets, clean energy and economic development and fiscal elements of growth and development. In a statement following a meeting of G7 finance ministers on 11 October 2008, US President George W. Bushstated that the next meeting of the G-20 would be important in finding solutions to the burgeoning economic crisis of 2008. An initiative by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown led to a special meeting of the G-20, a G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, on 15 November 2008.[10] Despite lacking any formal ability to enforce rules, the G-20's prominent membership gives it a strong input on global policy. However, there remain disputes over the legitimacy of the G-20,[11] and criticisms of its organisation and the efficacy of its declarations.[12]
Summits[edit source | editbeta]

See also: List of G-20 summits The G-20 Summit was created as a response both to the financial crisis of 20072010 and to a growing recognition that key emerging countries were not adequately included in the core of global economic discussion and governance. The G-20 Summits of heads of stateor government were held in addition to the G-20 Meetings of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, who continued to meet to prepare the leaders' summit and implement their decisions. After the 2008 debut summit in Washington, D.C., G-20 leaders met twice a year in London and Pittsburgh in 2009, Toronto and Seoul in 2010.[13] Since 2011, when France chaired and hosted the G-20, the summits have been held only once a year.[14] Mexico chaired and hosted the most recent leaders' summit in 2012.[15] Current summit is held in Russia; next in Australia in 2014[16] and Turkey in 2015.[17]
Date
Host country
Host city
Website
1st[18] November 2008
United States
Washington, D.C.
2nd[18] April 2009
United Kingdom London
[1]
3rd[18] September 2009
United States
Pittsburgh
[2]
4th[19] June 2010
Canada
Toronto
[20]
5th[21] November 2010
South Korea
Seoul
[3]
6th[22] November 2011[23]
France
Cannes
[4]
7th[15] June 2012[24]
Mexico
Los Cabos
[5]
8th[9]
September 2013
Russia
Saint Petersburg
[6]
9th[9]
November 2014
Australia
Brisbane
10th[9] 2015
Turkey
TBA
G-20 leaders' chair rotation[edit source | editbeta]

To decide which nation gets to chair the G-20 leaders' meeting for a given year, all 19 nations are assigned to one of five different groupings. Each group holds a maximum of four nations. This system has been in place since 2010, when South Korea, which is in Group 5, held the G-20 chair. Mexico, the host of the 2012 summit, is in Group 3. In 2013, Russia, which is in Group 2, hosted the G-20 leaders' summit. Australia, the host of the 2014 G-20 summit, is in Group 1. The table below lists the nations' groupings:[25]
Group
Nations
Group
Nations
Group
Nations
Group
Nations
Group
Nations
Australia Group 1 Canada Group 2
India Group 3 Russia
Argentina Group 4 Brazil
France Group 5 Germany
China
Indonesia
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Mexico
Italy
Japan
United States
Turkey
United Kingdom
South Korea
Organization[edit source | editbeta]

The G-20 operates without a permanent secretariat or staff. The chair rotates annually among the members and is selected from a different regional grouping of countries. The chair is part of a revolving three-member management group of past, present and future chairs referred to as the Troika. The incumbent chair establishes a temporary secretariat for the duration of its term, which coordinates the group's work and organizes its meetings. The role of the Troika is to ensure continuity in the G-20's work and management across host years. The current chair of the G-20 is Russia; the chair was handed over from Mexico after the June 2012 G-20 Summit.
Proposed permanent secretariat[edit source | editbeta]

In 2010, President of France Nicolas Sarkozy proposed the establishment of a permanent G-20 secretariat, similar to the United Nations.Seoul and Paris were suggested as possible locations for its headquarters.[26] China and Brazil supported the establishment of a secretariat, while Italy and Japan expressed opposition to the proposal.[26] South Korea proposed a "cyber secretariat" as an alternative.[26]
List of members[edit source | editbeta]

Currently, there are 20 members of the group. These include, at the leaders summits, the leaders of 19 countries and of the European Union, and, at the ministerial-level meetings, the finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries and of the European Union. In addition, Spain participates in every meeting as a permanent guest.[2][27] The first of the tables below lists the member entities and their heads of government, finance ministers and central bank governors. The second table lists relevant statistics such as population and GDP figures for each member, as well as detailing memberships of other international organisations, such as the G8 or BRICS. Total GDP figures are given in millions of US dollars.
Leaders[edit source | editbeta]

Region Member Official title Head of government Official title Finance minister Central bank governor
Africa
South Africa
President
Jacob Zuma
Minister of Finance
Pravin Gordhan
Gill Marcus
North America
United States
President
Barack Obama
Secretary of the Treasury
Jack Lew
Ben Bernanke
Region
Member
Official title
Head of government
Official title
Finance minister
Central bank governor
North America
Canada
Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
Minister of Finance
Jim Flaherty
Stephen Poloz
North America
Mexico
President
Enrique Pea Nieto
Secretary of Finance
Luis Videgaray Caso
Agustn Carstens
South America
Brazil
President
Dilma Rousseff
Minister of Finance
Guido Mantega
Alexandre Tombini
South America
Argentina
President
Cristina Fernndez Minister of de Kirchner Economy
Hernn Lorenzino
Mercedes Marc del Pont
President Asia China
Xi Jinping Minister of Finance Li Keqiang Lou Jiwei Zhou Xiaochuan
Premier Asia Japan Prime Minister President Asia South Korea Prime Minister Asia Asia India Indonesia Prime Minister President President Europe and Asia Europe and Asia Russia Prime Minister Turkey Prime Minister European Council President[28] Europe European Union Commission President[28] Europe Germany Chancellor Dmitry Medvedev Recep Tayyip Erdoan Herman Van Rompuy Minister of Finance Mehmet imek Jung Hong-won Manmohan Singh Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Vladimir Putin Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov Sergey Mikhaylovich Ignatyev Erdem Ba Shinzo Abe Park Geun-hye Minister of Strategy and Finance Minister of Finance Minister of Finance Hyun Oh-seok Kim Choong-soo Minister of Finance Taro Aso Haruhiko Kuroda
P. Chidambaram Raghuram Rajan Muhammad Chatib Basri Agus Martowardojo
Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Olli Rehn Jos Manuel Duro Affairs and the Euro Barroso Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schuble
Mario Draghi
Angela Merkel
Jens Weidmann
Region
Member
Official title
Head of government Franois Hollande
Official title
Finance minister
Central bank governor
President Europe France Prime Minister Europe United Kingdom Prime Minister
Minister of the Economy, Industry and Jean-Marc Ayrault Employment David Cameron
Pierre Moscovici Christian Noyer
Chancellor of the George Osborne Exchequer Minister of Economy and Finance Minister of Finance Treasurer Fabrizio Saccomanni Ibrahim Abdulaziz AlAssaf Joe Hockey
Mark Carney
Europe
Italy
Prime Minister King
Enrico Letta
Ignazio Visco
Asia
Saudi Arabia Prime Minister
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Prime Minister Tony Abbott
Fahad Almubarak
Oceania
Australia
Glenn Stevens
Member countries data[edit source | editbeta]

T ra de m il. U S D (2 01 2)
No mi nal GD P mil . US D (20 12)
[29]
Re gi on
Me mbe r
PP P GD P mil . US D (20 12)

[30]
No mi nal GD P per cap ita US D (20 12)

[31]
PP P GD P per cap ita US D (20 12)

[32]
HD I (20 12)
[33]
Pop ulat ion
P 5
G 8
B RI C S
M I K T
D A C
O E C D
G 4
U f C
O P E C
Econ omic class ificat ion (IM F)[34]
So 208,0 384,3 582,3 11,37 Africa uth 7,506 00 15 91 5 Africa
0.629
53,000, 000
Develo ping
North Un 3,969 15,68 15,68 49,92 49,92 Ameri ited ,000 4,750 4,750 2 2 ca States
0.937
316,17 3,000
Advan ced
North Ca 962,6 1,819, 1,488, 52,23 42,73 Ameri 00 081 311 1 4 nada ca
0.911
34,088, 000
Advan ced
North M Ameri exico ca
756,8 1,177, 1,758, 10,24 15,31 00 116 896 7 1
0.775
112,21 1,789
Develo ping
Re gi on
Me mbe r
T ra de m il. U S D (2 01 2)

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]
HD I (20 12)
[33]
Pop ulat ion
P 5
G 8
B RI C S
M I K T
D A C
O E C D
G 4
U f C
O P E C
South Br Ameri azil ca
494,8 2,395, 2,355, 12,07 11,87 00 968 586 8 5
0.730
193,08 8,765
Develo ping
South Ar 152,6 474,9 743,1 11,57 18,11 Ameri 90 54 21 6 2 gentina ca
0.811
40,117, 096
Develo ping
Asia
ina
Ch 3,801 8,227, 12,40 6,075 9,161 ,000 037 5,670
0.699
1,339,7 24,852
Develo ping
Asia
pan
Ja 1,649 5,963, 4,627, 46,73 36,26 ,800 969 891 5 5
0.912
127,39 0,000
Advan ced
Asia
So 1,068 1,155, 1,613, 23,11 32,27 uth ,700 872 921 2 2 Korea
0.909
50,004, 441
Advan ced
Asia
In dia
809,4 1,824, 4,684, 1,491 3,829 00 832 372
0.554
1,210,1 93,422
Develo ping
Asia
In 384,1 878,1 1,216, 3,592 4,977 00 98 738 donesia
0.629
237,55 6,363
Develo ping
Europ Ru 900,6 2,021, 2,513, 14,24 17,70 e and 00 960 299 6 8 ssia Asia
0.788
143,40 0,000
Develo ping
Europ Tu 370,8 794,4 1,123, 10,60 15,00 e and 00 68 380 9 1 rkey Asia
0.722
72,561, 312
Develo ping
Re gi on
Me mbe r
T ra de m il. U S D (2 01 2)

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]
HD I (20 12)
[33]
Pop ulat ion
P 5
G 8
B RI C S
M I K T
D A C
O E C D
G 4
U f C
O P E C
Eu 4,567 16,41 16,07 32,70 32,02 Europ ropean e ,000 4,483 3,550 8 8 Union
0.876
501,25 N/ N/A N/A 9,840 A
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
N/A
Europ Ge 2,768 3,400, 3,197, 41,51 39,02 e ,000 579 069 2 8 rmany
0.920
81,757, 600
Advan ced
Europ Fr 1,226 2,608, 2,254, 41,14 35,54 e ,400 699 067 0 7 ance
0.893
65,447, 374
Advan ced
Un Europ ited 1,127 2,440, 2,336, 38,58 36,94 e 505 295 8 1 Kingdo ,000 m
0.875
62,041, 708
Advan ced
Europ e ly
Ita 953,0 2,014, 1,832, 33,11 30,13 00 079 916 5 6
0.881
60,325, 805
Advan ced
Sa 518,3 727,3 906,8 25,08 31,27 Middl udi e East 00 07 06 4 5 Arabia
0.782
27,123, 977
Develo ping
Ocean Au 522,0 1,541, 970,7 67,72 42,64 ia 00 797 64 2 0 stralia
0.938
22,328, 632
Advan ced
In addition to these 20 members, several other international forums and institutions, as represented by their respective chief executive officers, participate in meetings of the G-20.[2]These include the managing director and Chairman of the International Monetary Fund, the President of the World Bank, the International Monetary and Financial Committee and the Chairman of the Development Assistance Committee. The G-20's membership does not reflect exactly the 19 largest national economies of the world in any given year. The organization states:[1]
In a forum such as the G-20, it is particularly important for the number of countries involved to be restricted and fixed to ensure the effectiveness and continuity of its activity. There are no formal criteria for G-20 membership and the composition of the group has remained unchanged since it was established. In view of the objectives of the G-20, it was considered important that countries and regions of systemic significance for the international financial system be included. Aspects such as geographical balance and population representation also played a major part.
All 19 member nations are among the top 29 economies as measured in GDP at nominal prices in a list published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for 2013.[29] Not represented by membership in the G-20 are Switzerland (ranked 20th by the IMF), Iran (21), Norway (23) and Taiwan (27), even though they rank higher than some members. Spain (13), the Netherlands (18), Sweden (22), Poland (24), Belgium (25) and Austria (28) are included only as part of the EU, and not independently. When the countries' GDP is measured at purchasing power parity (PPP) rates,[30] all 19 members are among the top 25 in the world on April 2013, according to the IMF. Iran (17), Taiwan (20) and Thailand (24) are not G-20 members, while Spain (14), Poland (21) and the Netherlands (23) are only included in the EU slot. However, in a list of average GDP, calculated for the years since the group's creation (19992008) at both nominal and PPP rates, only Spain, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Poland appear above any G-20 member in both lists simultaneously. Spain, being the 13th largest economy in the world and 5th in the European Union in terms of nominal GDP, is a "permanent guest" of the organization, although the Spanish government's policy is to not request official membership. [35][36] As such, a Spanish delegation has been invited to, and has attended, every G-20 heads of state summit since the G-20's inception.
Role of Asian countries[edit source | editbeta]

A 2011 report released by the Asian Development Bank predicted that large Asian economies such as China and India would play a more important role in global economic governance in the future. The report stated that the rise of emerging market economies heralded a new world order, in which the G-20 would become the global economic steering committee.[37] The report furthermore noted that Asian countries had led the global recovery following the late-2000s recession. It predicted that the region would have a greater presence on the global stage, shaping the G-20 agenda for balanced and sustainable growth through strengthening intraregional trade and stimulating domestic demand.[37]
Invitees[edit source | editbeta]

Typically, several countries that are not permanent members of the G-20 are extended invitations to participate in the summits. The invitees are chosen by the host country. For the 2010 summits, for example, both Canada and South Korea invited Ethiopia (chair of NEPAD), Malawi (chair of the African Union), Vietnam (chair of ASEAN), and Spain. Canada also invited the Netherlands, while South Korea invited Singapore. Both Canada and South Korea invited seven international organizations: the United Nations, the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, and theFinancial Stability Board.[38][39]
Criticisms[edit source | editbeta]

Exclusivity of membership[edit source | editbeta]
Although the G-20 has stated that the group's "economic weight and broad membership gives it a high degree of legitimacy and influence over the management of the global economy and financial system,"[40] its legitimacy has been challenged. With respect to the membership issue, U.S. President Barack Obama has noted the difficulty of pleasing everyone: "everybody wants the smallest possible group that includes them. So, if they're the 21st largest nation in the world, they want the G-21, and think it's highly unfair if they have been cut out."[41] A 2011 report for the Danish Institute for International Studies, entitled "The G-20 and Beyond: Towards Effective Global Economic Governance", criticised the G-20's exclusivity, highlighting in particular its underrepresentation of the African continent. Moreover, the report stated that the G-20's practice of inviting observers from nonmember states is a mere "concession at the margins", and does not grant the organisation representational legitimacy.[42] However, Global Policy stated in 2011 that the G-20's exclusivity is not an insurmountable problem, and proposed mechanisms by which it could become more inclusive.[43]
Norwegian perspective[edit source | editbeta]

In a 2010 interview with Der Spiegel,[6] Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stre called the G-20 "one of the greatest setbacks since World War II." Although Norway is the seventh-largest contributor to international development programs in the United Nations,[44] it is not a member of the EU, and thus is not represented in the G-20 even indirectly.[6]Norway, like the other 170 nations not among the G-20, has little or no voice within the group. Stre characterized the G-20 as a "self-appointed group", arguing that it undermines the legitimacy of organizations set up in the aftermath of World War II, such as the IMF, World Bank and United Nations: The G-20 is a self-appointed group. Its composition is determined by the major countries and powers. It may be more representative than the G-7 or the G-8, in which only the richest countries are represented, but it is still arbitrary. We no longer live in the 19th century, a time when the major powers met and redrew the map of the world. No one needs a new Congress of Vienna. Jonas Gahr Stre, 2010[6]
Global Governance Group (3G) response[edit source | editbeta]

According to Singapore's representative to the United Nations, UN members who are not G-20 members have responded to the G-20's exclusivity by either reacting with indifference, refusing to acknowledge the G-20's legitimacy, or accepting the G-20's status while hoping to "engage the G-20 as the latter continues to evolve so that [their] interests are taken on board."[45] Out of this latter group, Singapore has taken a leading role in organizing an informal "Global Governance Group" of 28 non-G-20 countries, seeking to collectively channel their views into the G-20 process more effectively.[46][47] Singapore's chairing of the Global Governance Group was cited as a rationale for inviting Singapore to the November 2010 G-20 summit in South Korea.[48]
Foreign Policy critiques[edit source | editbeta]

The American magazine Foreign Policy has published articles condemning the G-20, in terms of its principal function as an alternative to the supposedly exclusive G8. It questions the actions of some of the G-20 members, and advances the notion that some nations should not have membership in the first place. For example, it has suggested that Argentina should be formally replaced in the group by Spain, because Spain's economy is larger.[7] Furthermore, with the effects of the Great Recession still ongoing, the magazine has criticized the G-20's efforts to implement reforms of the world's financial institutions, branding such efforts as failed.[49]
On 14 June 2012, an essay published by the National Taxpayers Union was forwarded to Foreign Policy, espousing a critical view of the application of G-20 membership. The essay's authors, Alex Brill and James K. Glassman, used a numerical table with seven criteria to conclude that Indonesia, Argentina, Russia and Mexico do not qualify for G-20 membership, and that Switzerland, Singapore, Norway and Malaysia had overtaken some of the current members. However, the gap between current members Mexico and Russia and the lower-ranked entries in the authors' list (Malaysia and Saudi Arabia) was only slight. Thus, it was concluded that there is no obvious group of twenty nations that should be included in the G20, and that fair and transparent metrics are essential, as they justify the difficult decisions that will be required in order to differentiate among similarly situated countries.[50]
Wider concerns[edit source | editbeta]

The G-20's transparency and accountability have been questioned by critics, who call attention to the absence of a formal charter and the fact that the most important G-20 meetings are closed-door.[51] In 2001, the economist Frances Stewart proposed an Economic Security Council within the United Nations as an alternative to the G-20. In such a council, members would be elected by the General Assembly based on their importance in the world economy, and the contribution they are willing to provide to world economic development.[52] The cost and extent of summit-related security is often a contentious issue in the hosting country, and G-20 summits have attracted protesters from a variety of backgrounds, including information activists, nationalists, and opponents of Fractional Reserve Banking and crony capitalism. In 2010, the Toronto G-20 summit sparked mass protests and rioting, leading to the largest mass arrest in Canadian history.[8]
Member Countries-OPEC
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with the signing of an agreement in September 1960 by five countries namely Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. They were to become the Founder Members of the Organization. These countries were later joined by Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962), Libya (1962), the United Arab Emirates (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador (1973), Gabon (1975) and Angola (2007). From December 1992 until October 2007, Ecuador suspended its membership. Gabon terminated its membership in 1995. Indonesia suspended its membership effective January 2009. Currently, the Organization has a total of 12 Member Countries. The OPEC Statute distinguishes between the Founder Members and Full Members - those countries whose applications for membership have been accepted by the Conference. The Statute stipulates that any country with a substantial net export of crude petroleum, which has fundamentally similar in terests to those of Member Countries, may become a Full Member of the Organization, if accepted by a majority of three-fourths of Full Members, including the concurring votes of all Founder Members. The Statute further provides for Associate Members which are those countries that do not qualify for full membership, but are nevertheless admitted under such special conditions as may be prescribed by the Conference.
members of OPEC are NAIL VIS QUAKE N-Nigeria A-Angola I-Iran L-Libya V-venzuela
I-iraq S-Saudi Q-Quatar U-UAE A-Algeria K-Kuwait E-Ecuador
OPEC
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Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
Headquarters
Vienna, Austria
Official languages
English[1]
Type
Trade bloc
Membership
12 states (2011)[show]
Leaders
- President - Secretary General
Bijan Namdar Zanganeh Abdallah el-Badri
Establishment - Statute - in effect
Baghdad, Iraq September 1014, 1960 January 1961
Area - Total 11,854,977 km2 4,577,232 sq mi
Population - estimate - Density 372,368,429 31.16/km2 80.7/sq mi
Currency
Indexed as USD -per-barrel
Website www.opec.org
OPEC (/opk/ OH-pek) is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. It is an oil cartel whose mission is to coordinate the policies of the oil-producing countries. The goal is to secure a steady income to the member states and to secure supply of oil to the consumers.[2] OPEC is an intergovernmental organization that was created at the Baghdad Conference on September 1014, 1960, by Iraq, Kuwait,Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Later it was joined by nine more governments: Libya, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia,Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Angola, and Gabon. OPEC was headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland before moving to Vienna, Austria, on September 1, 1965.[3] OPEC was formed at a time when the international oil market was largely separate from centrally planned economies, and was dominated by multinational companies. OPEC's Policy Statement' states that there is a right of all countries to exercise sovereignty over their natural resources.[3] In the 1970s, OPEC began to gain influence and steeply raised oil prices during the 1973 Oil Crisis in response to US aid to Israel during the Yom Kippur War.[4] It lasted until March 1974.[5] OPEC added to its goals the selling of oil for socio-economic growth of the poorer member nations, and membership grew to 13 by 1975.[3] In the 1980s, the price of oil was allowed to rise before the adverse effects of higher prices caused demand and price to fall. The OPEC nations, which depended on revenue from oil sales, experienced severe economic hardship from the lower demand for oil and consequently cut production in order to boost the price of oil. During this time, environmental issues began to emerge on the international energy agenda.[3] Lower demand for oil saw the price of oil fall back to 1986 levels by 1998 99.
In the 2000s, a combination of factors pushed up oil prices even as supply remained high. Prices rose to then record-high levels in mid-2008 before falling in response to the 2007 financial crisis. OPECs summits in Caracas and Riyadh in 2000 and 2007 had guiding themes of stable energy markets, sustainable oil production, and environmental sustainability. [3]
The new OPEC headquarters in Vienna
Venezuela and Iran were the first countries to move towards the establishment of OPEC in the 1960s by approaching Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in 1949, suggesting that they exchange views and explore avenues for regular and closer communication among petroleum-producing nations.[citation needed] The founding members are Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Later members include Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Libya, Qatar, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. In 1014 September 1960, at the initiative of the Venezuelan Energy and Mines minister Juan Pablo Prez Alfonso and the Saudi Arabian Energy and Mines minister Abdullah al-Tariki, the governments of Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela met inBaghdad to discuss ways to increase the price of the crude oil produced by their respective countries. [citation needed][6][7]
Oil exports imports difference
OPEC was founded to unify and coordinate members' petroleum policies. Between 1960 and 1975, the organization expanded to include Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962), Libya (1962), theUnited Arab Emirates (1967), Algeria (1969), and Nigeria (1971). Ecuador and Gabon were early members of OPEC, but Ecuador withdrew on December 31, 1992[8] because it was unwilling or unable to pay a $2 million membership fee and felt that it needed to produce more oil than it was allowed to under the OPEC quota,[9] although it rejoined in October 2007. Similar concerns prompted Gabon to suspend membership in January 1995.[10] Angola joined on the first day of 2007. Norway and Russia have attended OPEC meetings as observers. Indicating that OPEC is not averse to further expansion, Mohammed Barkindo, OPEC's Secretary General, recently asked Sudan to join.[11] Iraq remains a member of OPEC, but Iraqi production has not been a part of any OPEC quota agreements since March 1998. In May 2008, Indonesia announced that it would leave OPEC when its membership expired at the end of that year, having become a net importer of oil and being unable to meet itsproduction quota.[12] A statement released by OPEC on 10 September 2008 confirmed Indonesia's withdrawal, noting that it "regretfully accepted the wish of Indonesia to suspend its full Membership in the Organization and recorded its hope that the Country would be in a position to rejoin the Organization in the not too distant future." [13] Indonesia is still exporting light, sweet crude oil and importing heavier, more sour crude oil to take advantage of price differentials (import is greater than export).
1973 oil embargo[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: 1973 oil crisis
In October 1973, OPEC declared an oil embargo in response to the United States' and Western Europe's support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The result was a rise in oil prices from $3 per barrel to $12 and the commencement of gas rationing. Other factors in the rise in gasoline prices was the peak of oil production in the United States around 1970 and the devaluation of the U.S. dollar.[14] U.S. gas stations put a limit on the amount of gasoline that could be dispensed, closed on Sundays, and limited the days gasoline could be purchased based on license plates. Even after the embargo concluded, prices continued to rise.[15] The Oil Embargo of 1973 had a lasting effect on the United States. U.S. citizens began purchasing smaller cars that were more fuel efficient.[citation needed] The Federal government got involved first with President Richard Nixon recommending citizens reduce their speed for the sake of conservation, and later Congress issuing a 55 mph limit at the end of 1973. This change decreased consumption[citation needed] as well as crash fatalities[citation needed]. Daylight savings time was extended year round to reduce electrical use in the American home. Nixon also formed the Energy Department as a cabinet office.[citation needed] People were asked to decrease their thermostats to 65 degrees and factories changed their main energy supply to coal. One of the most lasting effects of the 1973 oil embargo was a global economic recession. Unemployment rose to the highest percentage on record while inflation also spiked. Consumer interest in large gas guzzling vehicles fell and production dropped. Although the embargo only lasted a year, during that time oil prices had quadrupled and OPEC nations discovered that their oil could be used as both a political and economic weapon against other nations. [16]
1975 hostage incident[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: OPEC siege
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)
On 21 December 1975, Ahmed Zaki Yamani and the other oil ministers of the members of OPEC were taken hostage by a sixperson team led by terrorist Carlos the Jackal (which included Gabriele Krcher-Tiedemann and Hans-Joachim Klein), in Vienna, Austria, where the ministers were attending a meeting at the OPEC headquarters. Carlos planned to take over the conference by force and kidnap all eleven oil ministers in attendance and hold them for ransom, with the exception of Ahmed Zaki Yamani and Iran's Jamshid Amuzegar, who were to be executed. Carlos led his six-person team past two police officers in the building's lobby and up to the first floor, where a police officer, an Iraqi plain clothes security guard and a young Libyan economist were shot dead. As Carlos entered the conference room and fired shots in the ceiling, the delegates ducked under the table. The terrorists searched for Ahmed Zaki Yamani and then divided the sixty-three hostages into groups. Delegates of friendly countries were moved toward the door, 'neutrals' were placed in the centre of the room and the 'enemies' were placed along the back wall, next to a stack of explosives. This last group included those from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar and the UAE. Carlos demanded a bus to be provided to take his group and the hostages to the airport, where a DC-9 airplane and crew would be waiting. In the meantime, Carlos briefed Yamani on his plan to eventually fly to Aden, where Yamani and Amuzegar would be killed. The bus was provided the following morning at 6.40 as requested and 42 hostages were boarded and taken to the airport. The group was airborne just after 9.00 and explosives placed under Yamani's seat. The plane first stopped in Algiers, where Carlos left the plane to meet with the Algierian Foreign minister. All 30 non-Arab hostages were released, excluding Amuzegar.
The refueled plane left for Tripoli where there was trouble in acquiring another plane as had been planned. Carlos decided to instead return to Algiers and change to a Boeing 707, a plane large enough to fly to Baghdad nonstop. Ten more hostages were released before leaving. With only 10 hostages remaining, the Boeing 707 left for Algiers and arrived at 3.40 a.m. After leaving the plane to meet with the Algerians, Carlos talked with his colleagues in the front cabin of the plane and then told Yamani and Amuzegar that they would be released at mid-day. Carlos was then called from the plane a second time and returned after two hours. At this second meeting it is believed that Carlos held a phone conversation with Algerian President Houari Boumdienne who informed Carlos that the oil ministers' deaths would result in an attack on the plane. Yamani's biography [citation needed] suggests that the Algerians had used a covert listening device on the front of the aircraft to overhear the earlier conversation between the terrorists, and found that Carlos had in fact still planned to murder the two oil ministers. Boumdienne must also have offered Carlos asylum at this time and possibly financial compensation for failing to complete his assignment. On returning to the plane Carlos stood before Yamani and Amuzegar and expressed his regret at not being able to murder them. He then told the hostages that he and his comrades would leave the plane after which they would all be free. After waiting for the terrorists to leave, Yamani and the other nine hostages followed and were taken to the airport by Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The terrorists were present in the next lounge and Khalid, the Palestinian, asked to speak to Yamani. As his hand reached for his coat, Khalid was surrounded by guards and a gun was found concealed in a holster. Some time after the attack it was revealed by Carlos' accomplices that the operation was commanded by Wadi Haddad, a Palestinian terrorist and founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. It was also claimed that the idea and funding came from an Arab president, widely thought to be Muammar al-Gaddafi. In the years following the OPEC raid, Bassam Abu Sharif and Klein claimed that Carlos had received a large sum of money in exchange for the safe release of the Arab hostages and had kept it for his personal use. There is still some uncertainty regarding the amount that changed hands but it is believed to be between US$20 million and US$50 million. The source of the money is also uncertain, but, according to Klein, it was from "an Arab president." Carlos later told his lawyers that the money was paid by the Saudis on behalf of the Iranians and was, "diverted en route and lost by the Revolution".[17]
The 1980s oil gluts[edit source | editbeta]

Main article: 1980s oil glut
OPEC net oil export revenues for 1971 - 2007.[18]
In response to the high oil prices of the 1970s, industrial nations took step to reduce dependence on oil. Utilities switched to using coal,natural gas, or nuclear power while national governments initiated multi-billion dollar research programs to develop alternatives to oil. Demand for oil dropped by five million barrels a day while oil production outside of OPEC rose by fourteen million barrels daily by 1986. During this time, the percentage of oil produced by OPEC fell from 50% to 29%. The result was a six-year price decline that culminated with a 46 percent price drop in 1986. In order to combat falling revenues, Saudi Arabia pushed for production quotas to limit production and boost prices. When other OPEC nations failed to comply, Saudi Arabia slashed production from 10 million barrels daily in 1980 to just one-quarter of that level in 1985. When this proved ineffective, Saudi Arabia reversed course and flooded the market with cheap oil, causing prices to fall to under ten dollars a barrel. The result was that high price production zones in areas such as the North Sea became too expensive. Countries in OPEC that had previously failed to comply to quotas began to limit production in order to shore up prices.[19]
Responding to war and low prices[edit source | editbeta]

Main articles: 1990 oil price shock and 2000s energy crisis Leading up to the 199091 Gulf War, The President of Iraq Saddam Hussein recommended that OPEC should push world oil prices up, helping all OPEC members financially. But the division of OPEC countries occasioned by the Iraq-Iran War and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait marked a low point in the cohesion of OPEC. Once supply disruption fears that accompanied these conflicts dissipated, oil prices began to slide dramatically. After oil prices slumped at around $15 a barrel in the late 1990s, joint diplomacy achieved a slowing down of oil production beginning in 1998. In 2000, Chvez hosted the first summit of OPEC in 25 years. The next year, however, the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States,and the following invasion of Afghanistan, and 2003 invasion of Iraqand subsequent occupation prompted a sharp rise in oil prices to levels far higher than those targeted by OPEC themselves during the previous period. Indonesia withdrew from OPEC in 2009 to protect its oil supply. On 19 November 2007, global oil prices reacted violently as OPEC members spoke openly about potentially converting their cash reserves to the euro and away from the US dollar.[20]
Production disputes[edit source | editbeta]

The economic needs of the OPEC member states often affects the internal politics behind OPEC production quotas. Various members have pushed for reductions in production quotas to increase the price of oil and thus their own revenues. [21] These demands conflict with Saudi Arabia's stated long-term strategy of being a partner with the world's economic powers to ensure a steady flow of oil that would support economic expansion.[22] Part of the basis for this policy is the Saudi concern that expensive oil or oil of uncertain supply will drive developed nations to conserve and develop alternative fuels. To this point, former Saudi Oil Minister Sheikh Yamani famously said in 1973: "The stone age didn't end because we ran out of stones." [23] One such production dispute occurred on 10 September 2008, when the Saudis reportedly walked out of OPEC negotiating session where the organization voted to reduce production. Although Saudi Arabian OPEC delegates officially endorsed the new quotas, they stated anonymously that they would not observe them. The New York Times quoted one such anonymous OPEC delegate as saying Saudi Arabia will meet the markets demand. We will see what the market requires and we will not leave a customer without oil. The policy has not changed.[24]
OPEC aid[edit source | editbeta]

OPEC aid dates from well before the 1973/74 oil price explosion. Kuwait has operated a programme since 1961 (through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development). The OPEC fund became a fully fledged permanent international development agency in May 1980.
Membership[edit source | editbeta]

Current members[edit source | editbeta]
OPEC has twelve member countries: six in the Middle East, four in Africa, and two in South America.
Country
Region
Joined OPEC[25]
Population
(July 2012)
[26]
Area (km)[27]
Production (bbl/day)
Algeria
Africa
1969
37,367,226
2,381,740
2,125,000 (16th)
Angola
Africa
2007
18,056,072
1,246,700
1,948,000 (17th)
Ecuador
South America 2007[A 1]
15,223,680
283,560
485,700 (30th)
Iran
Middle East
1960[A 2]
78,868,711
1,648,000
4,172,000 (4th)
Iraq
Middle East
1960[A 2]
31,129,225
437,072
3,200,000 (12th)
Kuwait
Middle East
1960[A 2]
2,646,314
17,820
2,494,000 (10th)
Libya
Africa
1962
5,613,380
1,759,540
2,210,000 (15th)
Nigeria
Africa
1971
170,123,740
923,768
2,211,000 (14th)
Qatar
Middle East
1961
1,951,591
11,437
1,213,000 (21st)
Saudi Arabia
Middle East
1960[A 2]
26,534,504
2,149,690
8,800,000 (1st)
United Arab Emirates
Middle East
1967
5,314,317
83,600
2,798,000 (8th)
Country
Region
Joined OPEC[25]
Population
(July 2012)
[26]
Area (km)[27]
Production (bbl/day)
Venezuela
South America 1960[A 2]
28,047,938
912,050
2,472,000 (11th)
Total
369,368,429
11,854,977 km
33,327,700 bbl/day
1. 2.
^ Ecuador initially joined in 1973, left in 1992, and rejoined in 2007. ^

a bc d e
One of five founder members that attended the first OPEC conference, in September 1960.
Former members[edit source | editbeta]

Country Region Joined OPEC Left OPEC
Gabon
Africa
1975
1994
Indonesia
South East Asia
1962
2009
Some commentators consider that the United States was a de facto member during its formal occupation of Iraq due to its leadership of the Coalition Provisional Authority.[28][29]But this is not borne out by the minutes of OPEC meetings, as no U.S. representative attended in an official capacity.[30][31] Indonesia left OPEC in 2009 because it ceased to be a net exporter of oil. It could not fulfill the demand of its own country's needs, as growth in demand outstripped output. The situation was made worse because of weak legal certainty and corruption that deterred foreign investors from investing in new reserves in Indonesia. In recent times, the government has increased financial incentives for foreign firms to invest in exploration and extraction but has found itself forced to import more supplies from the likes of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Indonesia's departure from OPEC will not likely affect the amount of oil it produces or imports. The country's growing dependence on imports is proving increasingly expensive as global prices soar.[32]
Economics[edit source | editbeta]

OPEC is a swing producer[33] and its decisions have had considerable influence on international oil prices. For example, in the 1973 energy crisis some OPEC members refused to ship oil to western countries that had supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War, which Israel had fought against Egypt and Syria. This refusal caused a fourfold increase in the price of oil, which lasted five months, starting on October 17, 1973, and ending on March 18, 1974. OPEC nations then agreed, on January 7, 1975, to raise crude oil prices by 10%. At that time, OPEC nations including many who had recently nationalized their oil industries joined the call for a new international economic order to be initiated by coalitions of primary producers. Concluding the First OPEC Summit in Algiers they called for stable and just commodity prices, an international food and agriculture program, technology transfer from North to South, and the democratization of the economic system[citation needed]. Overall, the evidence suggests that OPEC did act as a cartel when it adopted output rationing in order to maintain price.[34]
According to US government, in 2011 OPEC will break above the $1 trillion mark earnings for the first time at $1.034 trillion and it is beating the $965 billion peak set in 2008.[35]
Sustainability[edit source | editbeta]

According to Mikael Hk, who researches the life cycles of oil fields, despite technological advances that increase the productivity of oil wells, the rate of decline of oil fields will eventually increase as time continues. [36] Energy policy expert Joyce Dargay accuses OPEC, along with several other institutions, of drastically underpredicting future oil demand by 2030 by more than 25%, a difference of 28 million barrels per day (4,500,000 m3/d) or about twice the current amount supplied by Saudi Arabia.[37]
Quotas circa 2005[edit source | editbeta]

OPEC Quotas and Production in thousands of barrels per day [38]
Country
Quota (7/1/05)
Production (1/07)
Capacity
Saudi Arabia
10,099
9,800
12,500
Algeria
894
1,360
1,430
Angola
1,900
1,700
1,700
Ecuador
520
500
500
Iran
4,110
3,700
3,750
Iraq
1,481
Kuwait
2,247
2,500
2,600
Libya
1,500
1,650
1,700
Nigeria
2,306
2,250
2,250
Qatar
726
810
850
OPEC Quotas and Production in thousands of barrels per day [38]
Country
Quota (7/1/05)
Production (1/07)
Capacity
United Arab Emirates
2,444
2,500
2,600
Venezuela
3,225
2,340
2,450
Total
29,971
29,591
32,330
Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Association of Southeast Asian Nations[show]
Flag
Emblem
Motto: "One Vision, One Identity, One Community"[1]
Anthem: The ASEAN Way
MENU 0:00
Headquarters Working language
Jakarta, Indonesiaa English[show] 10 states[show] 2 observers[show] Leaders
Membership
- Secretary General - Summit Presidency
Le Luong Minh[2] Brunei[3] Establishment
- Bangkok Declaration - Charter
8 August 1967 16 December 2008 Area
- Total
4,479,210.5 km2 2,778,124.7 sq mi Population
- 2011 estimate - Density
602,658,000 135/km2 216/sq mi
GDP (PPP) - Total - Per capita GDP (nominal) - Total - Per capita HDI (2012)
2011 estimate US$ 3.574 trillion[4] US$ 5,930 2011 estimate US$ 2.356 trillion US$ 3,909 0.663b medium
Currency Time zone
10 currencies[show] ASEAN (UTC+9 to +6:30)
Calling code Internet TLD
10 codes[show] 10 TLDs[show] Website
a.
www.aseansec.org
Address: Jalan Sisingamangaraja No.70A, South Jakarta. Calculated using UNDP data from member states.
b.
Wikisource has original text related to this article: Bangkok Declaration
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations[5] (ASEAN /si.n/ AH-see-ahn,[6] /zi.n/ AH-zee-ahn)[7][8] is a geopolitical and economic organisation of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore and Thailand.[9] Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.[10] ASEAN covers a land area of 4.46 million km, which is 3% of the total land area of Earth, and has a population of approximately 600 million people, which is 8.8% of the world's population. The sea area of ASEAN is about three times larger than its land counterpart. In 2011, its combined nominal GDP had grown to more than US$ 2 trillion.[11] If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the eighth largest economy in the world.

See also: Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational Asian organisations. v d e
The member states of ASEAN

Burma (Myanmar) Laos Vietnam Thailand Cambodia Philippines Brunei Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia Singapore I n d o n e s i a I n d o n e s i a I n d o n e s i a
ASEAN was preceded by an organisation called the Association of Southeast Asia, commonly called ASA, an alliance consisting of the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand that was formed in 1961. The bloc itself, however, was established on 8 August 1967, when foreign ministers of five countries Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand met at the Thai Department of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkokand signed the ASEAN Declaration, more commonly known as the Bangkok Declaration. The five foreign ministers Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso Ramos of the Philippines, Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand are considered the organisation's Founding Fathers.[12] The motivations for the birth of ASEAN were so that its members governing elite could concentrate on nation building, the common fear of communism, reduced faith in or mistrust of external powers in the 1960s, and a desire for economic development. The bloc grew when Brunei Darussalam became the sixth member on 8 January 1984, barely a week after gaining independence on 1 January.[13]
Continued expansion[edit source | editbeta]

See also: Enlargement of Association of Southeast Asian Nations
On 28 July 1995, Vietnam became the seventh member.[14] Laos and Myanmar (Burma) joined two years later on 23 July 1997.[15] Cambodia was to have joined together with Laos and Burma, but was deferred due to the country's internal political struggle. The country later joined on 30 April 1999, following the stabilisation of its government.[15][16] During the 1990s, the bloc experienced an increase in both membership and drive for further integration. In 1990, Malaysia proposed the creation of an East Asia Economic Caucus[17] comprising the then members of ASEAN as well as the People's Republic of China, Japan, and South Korea, with the intention of counterbalancing the growing influence of the United States in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and in the Asian region as a whole.[18][19] This proposal failed, however, because of heavy opposition from the United States and Japan.[18][20]Despite this failure, member states continued to work for further integration and ASEAN Plus Three was created in 1997. In 1992, the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) scheme was signed as a schedule for phasing tariffs and as a goal to increase the regions competitive advantage as a production base geared for the world market. This law would act as the framework for the ASEAN Free Trade Area. After the East Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, a revival of the Malaysian proposal was established in Chiang Mai, known as the Chiang Mai Initiative, which calls for better integration between the economies of ASEAN as well as the ASEAN Plus Three countries (China, Japan, and South Korea).[21] Aside from improving each member state's economies, the bloc also focused on peace and stability in the region. On 15 December 1995, the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty was signed with the intention of turning Southeast Asia into a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. The treaty took effect on 28 March 1997 after all but one of the member states have ratified it. It became fully effective on 21 June 2001, after the Philippines ratified it, effectively banning all nuclear weapons in the region.[22]
East Timor and Papua New Guinea[edit source | editbeta]

East Timor submitted a letter of application to be the eleventh member of ASEAN at the summit in Jakarta in March 2011. Indonesia has shown a warm welcome to East Timor.[23][24][25] Papua New Guinea was accorded Observer status in 1976 and Special Observer status in 1981.[26] Papua New Guinea is a Melanesian state. ASEAN embarked on a programme of economic cooperation following the Bali Summit of 1976. This floundered in the mid-1980s and was only revived around 1991 due to a Thai proposal for a regional free trade area.
Environment[edit source | editbeta]
Satellite image of the 2006 haze overBorneo.
At the turn of the 21st century, issues shifted to include a regional approach to the environment. The organisation started to discuss environmental agreements. These included the signing of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in
2002 as an attempt to control haze pollution in Southeast Asia.[27] Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful due to the outbreaks of the 2005 Malaysian hazeand the 2006 Southeast Asian haze. Other environmental treaties introduced by the organisation include the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security,[28] the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network in 2005,[29] and the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, both of which are responses to the potential effects of climate change. Climate change is of current interest. Through the Bali Concord II in 2003, ASEAN has subscribed to the notion of democratic peace, which means all member countries believe democratic processes will promote regional peace and stability. Also, the non-democratic members all agreed that it was something all member states should aspire to.[30]
ASEAN Plus Three[edit source | editbeta]

Leaders of each country, particularly Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, felt the need to further integrate the region. Beginning in 1997, the bloc began creating organisations within its framework with the intention of achieving this goal. ASEAN Plus Three was the first of these and was created to improve existing ties with the People's Republic of China, Japan, and South Korea. This was followed by the even larger East Asia Summit, which included these countries as well as India, Australia, and New Zealand. This new grouping acted as a prerequisite for the planned East Asia Community, which was supposedly patterned after the now-defunct European Community. The ASEAN Eminent Persons Group was created to study the possible successes and failures of this policy as well as the possibility of drafting an ASEAN Charter. In 2006, ASEAN was given observer status at the United Nations General Assembly.[31] As a response, the organisation awarded the status of "dialogue partner" to the United Nations.[32]
Free Trade[edit source | editbeta]

In 2007, ASEAN celebrated its 40th anniversary since its inception, and 30 years of diplomatic relations with the United States.[33] On 26 August 2007, ASEAN stated that it aims to complete all its free trade agreements with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand by 2013, in line with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.[34][35] In November 2007 the ASEAN members signed the ASEAN Charter, a constitution governing relations among the ASEAN members and establishing ASEAN itself as an international legal entity. [citation needed] During the same year, the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security was signed in Cebu on 15 January 2007, by ASEAN and the other members of the EAS (Australia, People's Republic of China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea), which promotes energy security by finding energy alternatives to conventional fuels.[citation needed] On 27 February 2009 a Free Trade Agreement with the ASEAN regional block of 10 countries and New Zealand and its close partner Australia was signed, it is estimated that this FTA would boost aggregate GDP across the 12 countries by more than US$48 billion over the period 20002020.[36][37] ASEAN members together with the groups six major trading partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea are slated to begin the first round of negotiations on 26-28 February 2013 in Bali, Indonesia, on establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. [38]
The ASEAN way[edit source | editbeta]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2013)
ASEAN members' flags in Jakarta.
Since the post-independence phases of Southeast Asian states, efforts were made to implement regional foreign policies, but with a unifying focus to refrain from interference in domestic affairs of member states. There was a move to unify the region under what was called the ASEAN Way based on the ideals of non -interference, informality, minimal institutionalisation, consultation and consensus, non-use of force and non-confrontation. ASEAN members (especially Singapore) approved of the term ASEAN Way to describe a regional method of multilateralism. Thus the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia adopted fundamental principles:[39]
Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion Non-interference in internal affairs Settlement of differences or disputes in a peaceful manner Renunciation of the threat or use of force Effective regional cooperation
The ASEAN way is said to contribute durability and longevity within the organisation, by promoting regional identity and enhancing a spirit of mutual confidence and cooperation. ASEAN agreements are negotiated in a close, interpersonal process. The process of consultations and consensus is designed to engender a democratic approach to decision making. These leaders are wary of any effort to legitimise efforts to undermine their nation or contain regional co-operation.
Critical reception[edit source | editbeta]

The ASEAN way can be seen as divergent from the contextual contemporary political reality at the formative stages of the association. A critical distinction is made by Amitav Acharya, that the ASEAN Way indicates a process of regional interactions and cooperation based on discreteness, informality, consensus building and non-confrontational bargaining styles that contrasts with the adversarial posturing, majority vote and other legalistic decision-making procedures in Western multilateral organisations".[40] However, critics argue[who?] that the ASEAN Way serves as the major stumbling-block to it becoming a true diplomacy mechanism. Due to the consensus-based approach every member has a veto, so contentious issues must remain unresolved
until agreements can be reached. Moreover, it is claimed that member nations are directly and indirectly advocating that ASEAN be more flexible and allow discourse on internal affairs of member countries. Additionally, the preference for informal discussions to adversarial negotiations limits the leverage of diplomatic solutions[which?] within ASEAN. Michael Yahuda,[41] explains, in his book International Politics of the Asia Pacific (2003) second and revised edition, the limitations of the ASEAN way. In summary of his argument, unlike the European Union, the ASEAN Way has made ASEAN members never aspired to an economic and political union. It was designed to sustain the independence and sovereignty of member states and to encourage regional and national stability. ASEAN differed in assessment of external threat and they operated within conditions in which legality and the rule of law were not generally consolidated within member states. ASEAN wasnt a rule making body subjecting its members to the discipline of adhering its laws and regulations. It was operated through consensus and informality. Also, the member states avoided to confront certain issues if they were to result in conflicts. [42]
ASEAN Summits[edit source | editbeta]
A billboard in Jakarta welcoming ASEAN Summit 2011 delegates.
The organisation holds meetings, known as the ASEAN Summit, where heads of government of each member meet to discuss and resolve regional issues, as well as to conduct other meetings with other countries outside of the bloc with the intention of promoting external relations. The ASEAN Leaders' Formal Summit was first held in Bali, Indonesia in 1976. Its third meeting was held in Manila in 1987 and during this meeting, it was decided that the leaders would meet every five years.[43] Consequently, the fourth meeting was held in Singaporein 1992 where the leaders again agreed to meet more frequently, deciding to hold the summit every three years.[43] In 2001, it was decided to meet annually to address urgent issues affecting the region. Member nations were assigned to be the summit host in alphabetical order except in the case of Burma which dropped its 2006 hosting rights in 2004 due to pressure from the United Statesand the European Union.[44]
By December 2008, the ASEAN Charter came into force and with it, the ASEAN Summit will be held twice in a year. The formal summit meets for three days. The usual itinerary is as follows:
Leaders of member states would hold an internal organisation meeting. Leaders of member states would hold a conference together with foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum. A meeting, known as ASEAN Plus Three, is set for leaders of three Dialogue Partners (People's Republic of China, Japan, South Korea)
A separate meeting, known as ASEAN-CER, is set for another set of leaders of two Dialogue Partners (Australia, New Zealand).[citation needed]
ASEAN Formal Summits
No
Date
Country
Host
Host leader
1st
2324 February 1976
Indonesia
Bali
Soeharto
2nd
45 August 1977
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Hussein Onn
3rd
1415 December 1987
Philippines
Manila
Corazon Aquino
4th
2729 January 1992
Singapore
Singapore
Goh Chok Tong
5th
1415 December 1995
Thailand
Bangkok
Banharn Silpa-archa
6th
1516 December 1998
Vietnam
Hanoi
Phan Vn Khi
7th
56 November 2001
Brunei
Bandar Seri Begawan
Hassanal Bolkiah
8th
45 November 2002
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Hun Sen
9th
78 October 2003
Indonesia
Bali
Megawati Soekarnoputri
10th
2930 November 2004
Laos
Vientiane
Bounnhang Vorachith
11th
1214 December 2005
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
12th
1114 January 20071
Philippines2
Cebu
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
13th
1822 November 2007
Singapore
Singapore
Lee Hsien Loong
14th3
27 February 1 March 2009 1011 April 2009
Thailand
Cha Am, Hua Hin Pattaya Abhisit Vejjajiva
15th
23 October 2009
Thailand
Cha Am, Hua Hin
16th3
89 April 2010
Vietnam
Hanoi Nguyn Tn Dng
17th
2831 October 2010
Vietnam
Hanoi
18th4
78 May 2011
Indonesia
Jakarta Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
19th4
1419 November 2011
Indonesia
Bali
20th
34 April 2012
Cambodia
Phnom Penh Hun Sen
21st
1720 November 2012
Cambodia
Phnom Penh
Postponed from 1014 December 2006 due to Typhoon Utor.
hosted the summit because Burma backed out due to enormous pressure from US and EU
This summit consisted of two parts. The first part was moved from 1217 December 2008 due to the 2008 Thai political crisis. The second part was aborted on 11 April due to protesters entering the summit venue.
Indonesia hosted twice in a row by swapping years with theG20 summit which ultimately fell to Russia) in 2013.
Brunei, as it will play host to APEC (and the possibility of hosting
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organisation of South Asian nations, which was established on 8 December 1985 when the government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lankaformally adopted its charter providing for the promotion of economic and social progress, cultural development within the South Asia region and also for friendship and cooperation with other developing countries. It is dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasising collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Afghanistan joined the organisation in 2007. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The first concrete proposal for establishing a framework for regional cooperation in South Asia was made by the late president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman, on May 2, 1980. Prior to this, the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was discussed in at least three conferences: the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in April 1947, the Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950, and the Colombo Powers Conference in April 1954. In the late 1970s, SAARC nations agreed upon the creation of a trade bloc consisting of South Asian countries. The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was again mooted in May 1980. The foreign ministers of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. The Committee of the Whole, which met in Colombo in August 1985, identified five broad areas for regional cooperation. New areas of cooperation were added in the following years.[1]
SAARC Charter[edit source | editbeta]
Desirous of promoting peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through strict adherence to the principles of the UNITED NATIONS CHARTER and NON-ALIGNMENT, particularly respect for the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, national independence, non-use of force and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and peaceful settlement of all disputes.
Conscious that in an increasingly interdependent world, the objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity are best achieved in the SOUTH ASIAN region by fostering mutual understanding, good neighbourly relations and meaningful cooperation among the Member States which are bound by ties of history and culture.
Aware of the common problems, interests and aspirations of the peoples of SOUTH ASIA and the need for joint action and enhanced cooperation within their respective political and economic systems and cultural traditions.
Convinced that regional cooperation among the countries of SOUTH ASIA is mutually beneficial, desirable and necessary for promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the peoples of the region.
Convinced further that economic, social and technical cooperation among the countries of SOUTH ASIA would contribute significantly to national and collective self-reliance.
Recognising that increased cooperation, contacts and exchanges among the countries of the region will contribute to the promotion of friendship and understanding among their peoples.
Recalling the DECLARATION signed by their Foreign Ministers in NEW DELHI on August 2, 1983 and noting the progress achieved in regional cooperation.
Reaffirming their determination to promote such cooperation within an institutional framework. [2]
Objectives Of SAARC[edit source | editbeta]

The objectives and the aims of the Association as defined in the Charter are:[3]
to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potential;
to promote and strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems; to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interest; and to cooperate with international and regional organisations with similar aims and purposes. to maintain peace in the region
Principles[edit source | editbeta]

The principles are as follows
Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political equality and independence of all members states Non-interference in the internal matters is one of its objectives Cooperation for mutual benefit All decisions to be taken unanimously and need a quorum of all eight members All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral(involving many countries) issues to be discussed without being prejudiced by bilateral issues
Afghanistan was added to the regional grouping on April 2007,[4] With the addition of Afghanistan, the total number of member states were raised to eight (8). In April 2006, theUnited States of America and South Korea made formal requests to be granted observer status. The European Union has also indicated interest in being given observer status, and made a formal request for the same to the SAARC Council of Ministers meeting in July 2006.[5][6] On 2 August 2006 the foreign ministers of the SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to the US, South Korea and the European Union. [6] On 4 March 2008, Iran requested observer status.[7] Followed shortly by the entrance of Mauritius. Myanmar has expressed interest in upgrading it's status from an observer to a full member of SAARC,[8] while Russia is interested in becoming an observer.[9][10]
Secretariat[edit source | editbeta]
Secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation inKathmandu, Nepal
The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987 and was inaugurated by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal. It is headed by the Secretary General appointed by the Council of Ministers from Member Countries in an alphabetical order for a three-year term. He is assisted by the Professional and the General Service Staff, and also an appropriate number of functional units called Divisions assigned to Directors on deputation from Member States. [11] The Secretariat coordinates and monitors implementation of activities, prepares for and services meetings, and serves as a channel of communication between the Association and its Member States as well as other regional organisations.[11] The Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Secretariat[11] which was signed by Foreign Ministers of member countries on 17 November 1986 at Bangalore, India contains various clauses concerning the role, structure and administration of the SAARC Secretariat as well as the powers of the Secretary-General. In several recent meetings the heads of state or government of member states of SAARC have taken some important decisions and bold initiatives to strengthen the organisation and to widen and deepen regional co-operation. The SAARC Secretariat and Member States observe 8 December as the SAARC Charter Day1.
Council of Ministers[edit source | editbeta]

Council of Ministers consisting of the Foreign Ministers of the Member States established with the following functions: Formulation of the policies of the ASSOCIATION Review of the progress of cooperation under the ASSOCIATION Decision on new areas of cooperation Establishment of additional mechanism under the ASSOCIATION as deemed necessary Decision on other matters of general interest to the ASSOCIATION.
The Council of Ministers meets twice a year. Extraordinary session of the Council may be held by agreement among the Member States.
Regional Centres[edit source | editbeta]

The SAARC Secretariat is supported by following Regional Centres established in Member States to promote regional cooperation. These Centres are managed by Governing Boards comprising representatives from all the Member States, SAARC
Secretary-General and the Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of the Host Government. The Director of the Centre acts as Member Secretary to the Governing Board which reports to the Programming Committee.
SAARC Agricultural Centre (SAC), Dhaka SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC), Maldives SAARC Information Centre (SIC), Nepal SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Pakistan SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India SAARC Development Fund (SDF), Bhutan SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC), Bhutan SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka[12]
Apex and Recognised Bodies[edit source | editbeta]

SAARC has six Apex Bodies,[13] namely, SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), SAARCLAW (South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation In Law),[14] South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), South Asia Foundation (SAF), South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC), Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) Hemant Batra is the current incumbent Secretary General of SAARCLAW. SAARC also has about 17 recognised bodies.[13]
Political issues[edit source | editbeta]

The dispute over Kashmirs accession to India has been standing in the way of the lasting peace and prosperity of the Indian subcontinent.[15] While awarding the European Union with the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that "...today war between Germany and France is unthinkable. This shows how, through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners."[16] Southern Asia can become unified just as Europe has become unified as the European Union. Political dialogue is often conducted on the margins of SAARC meetings which have refrained from interfering in the internal matters of its member states. During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits, extreme emphasis was laid upon greater cooperation between the SAARC members to fight terrorism.
South Asian Free Trade Area[edit source | editbeta]

SAPTA was envisaged primarily as the first step towards the transition to a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) leading subsequently towards a Customs Union, Common Market and Economic Union. In 1995, the Sixteenth session of the Council of Ministers (New Delhi, 1819 December 1995) agreed on the need to strive for the realization of SAFTA and to this end an InterGovernmental Expert Group (IGEG) was set up in 1996 to identify the necessary steps for progressing to a free trade area. The Tenth SAARC Summit (Colombo, 2931 July 1998) decided to set up a Committee of Experts (COE) to draft a comprehensive treaty framework for creating a free trade area within the region, taking into consideration the asymmetries in development within
the region and bearing in mind the need to fix realistic and achievable targets. The SAFTA Agreement was signed on 6 January 2004 during Twelfth SAARC Summit held in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006, and the Trade Liberalization Programme commenced from 1 July 2006. Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring their duties down to 20 per cent by 2009. Following the Agreement coming into force the SAFTA Ministerial Council (SMC) has been established comprising the Commerce Ministers of the Member States.[17]
SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme[edit source | editbeta]

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme was launched in 1992. The leaders at the Fourth Summit (Islamabad, 29 31 December 1988), while realizing the importance of having people to people contacts, among the peoples of SAARC countries, decided that certain categories of dignitaries should be entitled to a Special Travel document, which would exempt them from visas within the region. As directed by the Summit, the Council of Ministers regularly kept under review the list of entitled categories. Currently the list included 24 categories of entitled persons, which include Dignitaries, Judges of higher courts, Parliamentarians, Senior Officials, Businessmen, Journalists, Sportsmen etc. The Visa Stickers are issued by the respective Member States to the entitled categories of that particular country. The validity of the Visa Sticker is generally for one year. The implementation is reviewed regularly by the Immigration Authorities of SAAR Member States.[18]
SAARC Award[edit source | editbeta]

The Twelfth Summit (Islamabad, January 2004) approved the institution of the SAARC Award to honour and encourage outstanding individuals and organisations within the region. The main objectives of the SAARC Award are:
To encourage individuals and organisations based in South Asia to undertake programmes and activities complementing the efforts of SAARC
To encourage individuals and organisations in South Asia contributing to the improvement of the conditions of women and children
To honour outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals and organisations within the region in the fields of peace, development, poverty alleviation, environment protection and regional cooperation making the SAARC Award the most prestigious Award in the region; and
To honour any other outstanding contributions and achievements, not covered above, of individuals and organisations in the region.
The SAARC Award comprises a gold medal, a letter of citation and cash prize of US $ 25,000. Since institution of SAARC Award in 2004, it has been awarded only once and the Award was posthumoulsy conferred upon Late President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh.[19]
SAARC Youth Award[edit source | editbeta]

The SAARC Youth Award is awarded to outstanding individuals from the SAARC region. The award is notable due to the recognition it gives to the Award winner in the SAARC region. The award is based on specific themes which apply to each year. The award recognises and promotes the commitment and talent of the youth who give back to the world at large through various initiatives such as Inventions, Protection of the Environment and Disaster relief. The recipients who receive this award are ones who have dedicated their lives to their individual causes to improve situations in their own countries as well as paving a path for
the SAARC region to follow. The Committee for the SAARC Youth Award selects the best candidate based on his/her merits and their decision is final. Previous Winners:
1997: Outstanding Social Service in Community Welfare - Mr. Md. Sukur Salek (Bangladesh) 1998: New Inventions and Shanu - Dr. Najmul Hasnain Shah (Pakistan) 2001: Creative Photography: South Asian Diversity - Mr. Mushfiqul Alam (Bangladesh) 2002: Outstanding contribution to protect the Environment - Dr. Masil Khan (Pakistan) 2003: Invention in the Field of Traditional Medicine - Mr. Hassan Sher (Pakistan) 2004: Outstanding contribution to raising awareness for TB and/or HIV/AIDS - Mr. Ajij Prasad Poudyal (Nepal) 2006: Promotion of Tourism in South Asia - Mr. Syed Zafar Abbas Naqvi (Pakistan) 2008: Protecting the Environment in South Asia - Ms. Uswatta Liyanage Deepani Jayantha (Sri Lanka) 2009: Outstanding contribution to humanitarian works in the aftermath of Natural Disasters - Dr. Ravikant Singh (India) 2010: Outstanding contribution for the Protection of Environment and mitigation of Climate Change - Ms. Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne (Sri Lanka)
Members of SAARC[edit source | editbeta]
A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational Asian organisations. v d e
Current members[edit source | editbeta]

Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives
Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka
Observers[edit source | editbeta]

Australia[20] China European Union[21] Japan[21] Iran Mauritius[22] Myanmar South Korea United States[23]
Potential future members[edit source | editbeta]
China has expressed interest in upgrading its status from an observer to a full member of SAARC. Supported by Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka.
Myanmar has expressed interest in upgrading its status from an observer to a full member of SAARC. [8] Russia has expressed interest in becoming an observer of SAARC. Supported By India.[9][10]
Others[edit source | editbeta]
South Africa has participated in meetings.[24]
Secretaries-General of SAARC[edit source | editbeta]

Abul Ahsan January 16, 1985 to 15 October 1989
Kishore Kant Bhargava
October 17, 1989 to December 31, 1991
Ibrahim Hussain Zaki
January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1993
Yadav Kant Silwal
Naeem U. Hasan
Nihal Rodrigo
January 1, 1999 to January 10, 2002
Q.A.M.A. Rahim
January 11, 2002 to February 28, 2005
Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji
March 1, 2005 to February 29, 2008
Sheel Kant Sharma
March 1, 2008 to February 28, 2011
Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed March 1, 2011 to March 11, 2012
Ahmed Saleem
March 12, 2012 to present
[25]
SAARC summits[edit source | editbeta]

No Date Country Host Host leader
1st
78 December 1985
Bangladesh Dhaka
Ataur Rahman Khan
2nd 1617 November 1986
India
Bangalore
Rajiv Gandhi
3rd 24 November 1987
Nepal
Kathmandu Marich Man Singh Shrestha
4th 2931 December 1988
Pakistan
Islamabad
Benazir Bhutto
5th 2123 November 1990
Maldives
Mal
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
6th 21 December 1991
Sri Lanka
Colombo
Ranasinghe Premadasa
7th 1011 April 1993
Bangladesh Dhaka
Khaleda Zia
8th 24 May 1995
India
New Delhi
P. V. Narasimha Rao
9th 1214 May 1997
Maldives
Mal
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
10th 2931 July 1998
Sri Lanka
Colombo
Chandrika Kumaratunga
11th 46 January 2002
Nepal
Kathmandu Sher Bahadur Deuba
12th 26 January 2004
Pakistan
Islamabad
Zafarullah Khan Jamali
Bangladesh Dhaka
Khaleda Zia
14th 34 April 2007
India
New Delhi
Manmohan Singh
15th 13 August 2008
Sri Lanka
Colombo
Mahinda Rajapaksa
16th 2829 April 2010
Bhutan
Thimphu
Jigme Thinley
[26]
Maldives
Addu
Mohammed Nasheed
18th 2013
[27]
Nepal
Kathmandu Khil Raj Regmi
South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation
SAARC - South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Grand slam trophy names
French Open Trophy For Men-Coupe des Mousquetaires French Open Trophy For Women-Coupe Suzanne Lenglen Wimbledon Trophy For Men-No name but inscribed says "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World." Wimbledon Trophy For Women-Venus Rosewater Dish Australian Open Trophy For Men-Norman Brookes Challenge Cup Australian Open Trophy For Women-Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup No name for the U.S. Open trophy for either men or women
Federalism power division

Union List[edit]
Main article: Union List Union list consists of 99 items (previously 97 items) on which the parliament has exclusive power to legislate with including: defence, armed forces, arms and ammunition, atomic energy, foreign affairs, war and peace, citizenship, extradition, railways, shipping and navigation, airways, posts and telegraphs, telephones, wireless and broadcasting, currency, foreign trade, inter-state trade and commerce, banking, insurance, control of industries, regulation and development of mines, mineral and oil resources, elections, audit of Government accounts, constitution and organisation of the Supreme Court, High Courts and union public service commission, income tax, custom duties and export duties, [3] duties of excise, corporation tax, taxes on capital value of assets, estate duty, terminal taxes.
State List[edit]
Main article: State List State list consists of 61 items (previously 66 items). Uniformity is desirable but not essential on items in this list: maintaining law and order, police forces, healthcare, transport, land policies, electricity in state, village administration, etc.The state legislature has exclusive power to make laws on these subjects. But in certain circumstances,the parliament can also make laws on subjects mentioned in the State list.Then the parliament has to pass a resolution with 2/3rd majority that it is expedient to legislate on this state list in the national interest. Though states have exclusive powers to legislate with regards to items on the State list, articles 249, 250, 252, and 253 [3] state situations in which the federal government can legislate on these items.
Concurrent List[edit]
Main article: Concurrent List Concurrent list consists of 52 items (previously 47 items). Uniformity is desirable but not essential on items in this list: Marriage and divorce, transfer of property other than agricultural land, education, contracts, bankruptcy and insolvency, trustees and trusts, civil procedure, contempt of court, adulteration of foodstuffs, drugs and poisons, economic and social planning, trade unions, labour welfare, electricity, newspapers, books and printing press, stamp duties
List of Indian Prime Ministers (1947-2012)

Written By Admin on 06 July 2012 | Friday, July 06, 2012
List of Indian Prime Ministers (1947-2012)
No
Name
Entered office
Left office
Date of Birth
Date of Death
Political party
Jawahar Lal Nehru
15-Aug-1947
27-May-1964
14-Nov-1889 27-May-1964
Indian NationalCongress Indian NationalCongress Indian NationalCongress Indian NationalCongress Indian NationalCongress
Gulzarilal Nanda
27-May-1964
9 June 1964 *
4 July 1898
15-Jan-1998
Lal Bahadur Shastri
09-Jun-1964
11-Jan-1966
02-Oct-1904
11-Jan-1966
Gulzarilal Nanda
11-Jan-1966
24 January 1966 *
4-July-1898
15-Jan-1998
Indira Gandhi
24-Jan-1966
24-Mar-1977
19-Nov-1917
31-Oct-1984
Morarji Desai
24-Mar-1977
28-Jul-1979
29-Feb-1896
10-Apr-1995
Janata Party
Charan Singh
28-Jul-1979
14-Jan-1980
23-Dec-1902 29-May-1987
Janata Party
Indira Gandhi
14-Jan-1980
31-Oct-1984
19-Nov-1917
31-Oct-1984
Indian NationalCongress Indian National Congress(Indira)
Rajiv Gandhi
31-Oct-1984
02-Dec-1989
20-Aug-1944 21-May-1991
10
Vishwanath PratapSingh
02-Dec-1989
10-Nov-1990
25-Jun-1931
27-Nov-2008
Janata Dal
11
Chandra Shekhar
10-Nov-1990
21-Jun-1991
01-Jul-1927
08-Jul-2007
Samajwadi JanataParty Indian NationalCongress Bharatiya JanataParty
12
P. V. Narasimha Rao Atal Bihari Vajpayee
21-Jun-1991
16-May-1996
28-Jun-1921
23-Dec-2004
13
16-May-1996
01-Jun-1996
25-Dec-1924
Alive
14 H. D. Deve Gowda
01-Jun-1996
21-Apr-1997
18-May-1933
Alive
Janata Dal
15
Inder Kumar Gujral Atal Bihari Vajpayee Dr. Manmohan Singh
21-Apr-1997
19-Mar-1998
04-Dec-1919
Alive
Janata Dal
16
19-Mar-1998
22-May-2004
25-Dec-1924
Alive
Bharatiya JanataParty
17
22-May-2004
Incumbent
26-Sep-1932
Alive
Name
Portrait
Took office
Left office
Vice President
Notes
Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963)
26 January 1950
13 May 1962
1952 election & 1957 election Prasad, from Bihar, was the first President of independent [8][9] Dr. Sarvepalli India. He was also a freedom Radhakrishnan fighter during the Indian [10] independence movement. Prasad was the only president to serve two [4] terms in office.
Name
Portrait
Took office
Left office
Vice President
Notes
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (18881975)
13 May 1962
13 May 1967
Dr. Zakir Hussain
1962 election Radhakrishnan was a prominent philosopher, writer, a Knight of the Realm and also held the position of vice chancellor of the Andhra University and Banaras Hindu [11] University. He was also made a Knight of the Golden Army of [12] Angels by Pope Paul VI.
Dr. Zakir Hussain (18971969)
13 May 1967
3 May 1969
Varahagiri Venkata Giri
1967 election Hussain was vice chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University and a recipient of Padma [13] Vibhushanand Bharat Ratna. He died in office.
Varahagiri Venkata Giri * (18941980)
3 May 1969
20 July 1969
Giri was appointed as Acting President of India following the death [14] of Hussain. He resigned in a few months to take part in the [5] presidential elections.
Mohammad Hidayatullah * (19051992)
20 July 24 August 1969 1969
Hidayatullah served as the Chief Justice of India, and was a recipient of the Order of the British [15] Empire. He served as Acting President of India until the election of Giri as the President of India.
Varahagiri Venkata Giri (18941980)
24 August 1969
1969 election Giri is the only person to have served as both an acting president and 24 August Gopal Swarup president of India. He was a recipient 1974 Pathak of the Bharat Ratna, and has functioned as Indian Minister of Labour and High Commissioner [16] to Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
Name
Portrait
Took office
Left office
Vice President
Notes
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (19051977)
24 August 1974
11 February 1977
1974 election Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed served as a Minister before being elected as Basappa president. He died in 1977 before his Danappa Jatti term of office ended, and was the second Indian president to die in [17] office.
5 Jatti was the vice president of India during Ahmed's term of office, and was sworn in as Acting President of India upon Ahmed's death. He earlier functioned as the Chief Minister for [17][18] the State ofMysore.
Basappa Danappa Jatti* (19122002)
11 February 1977
25 July 1977
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (19131996)
25 July 1977
25 July 1982
Muhammad Hidayatullah
1977 election N.S.Reddy was the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh State. Reddy was the only Member of Parliament from the Janata Party to get elected from Andhra [19] Pradesh. He was unanimously elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on 26 March 1977 and relinquished this office on 13 July 1977 to become the 6th President of India.
Giani Zail Singh (19161994)
25 July 1982
25 July 1987
1982 election In March 1972, Singh assumed the Ramaswamy position of chief Minister of Punjab, Venkataraman and in 1980, he became Union Home [20] Minister.
Ramaswamy Venkataraman (19102009)
25 July 1987
25 July 1992
1987 election In 1942, Venkataraman was jailed by Shankar Dayal the British for his involvement in the Indian independence Sharma [21] movement. After his release, he was elected to independent Indias Provisional Parliament as a member
Name
Portrait
Took office
Left office
Vice President
Notes
of the Congress Party in 1950 and eventually joined the central government, where he first served as Minister of Finance and Industry and [22] later as Minister of Defence.
Shankar Dayal Sharma (19181999)
25 July 1992
25 July 1997
Kocheril Raman Narayanan
1992 election Sharma was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, and the Indian Minister for Communications. He has also served as the governor of Andhra [23] Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra.
10
Kocheril Raman Narayanan (19202005)
25 July 1997
25 July 2002
Krishan Kant
1997 election Narayanan served as India's ambassador to Thailand, Turkey, China and United States of America. He received doctorates in Science and Law and was also a chancellor [24] in several universities. He was also the vice-chancellor [25] of Jawaharlal Nehru University.
11
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (b. 1931)
25 July 2002
25 July 2007
2002 election Kalam is a scientist who played a leading role in the development of Bhairon Singh India's ballistic missile and nuclear [26] Shekhawat weapons programs. He also received the Bharat Ratna. Kalam was affectionately known as [27][28][29] the People's President.
Name
Portrait
Took office
Left office
Vice President
Notes
12
Pratibha Patil (b. 1934)
25 July 2007
25 July 2012
2007 election Patil is the first woman to become Mohammad the President of India. She was also Hamid Ansari the first female Governor of [30][31] Rajasthan.
13
Pranab Mukherjee (b. 1935)
2012 election Mukherjee held various posts in the cabinet ministry for the Government 25 July Mohammad of India such as Finance Incumbent 2012 Hamid Ansari Minister, Foreign Minister, Defence Minister and Deputy Chairman of the [6] Planning Commission.
Vice-Presidents of India (1950-2009)

The Vice-President of India is the second-highest ranking government official in the executive branch of the Government of India after the President. The Vice-President also has the legislative function of acting as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Article 63 of the Constitution of India provides for a Vice-President: "There shall be a Vice-President of India". While the Indian Vice-President could be elected for any number of terms, the Constitution requires that the Vice-President must be a citizen of India. The qualifications for Vice-President are the same as those for President. The Vice-President acts as President in the event of the death, resignation, or removal of the President, until a new President is chosen by the electoral college. The Vice-President may also act temporarily as President during the absence or illness of the President.
No.
Vice-President
Took office
Left office
President Rajendra Prasad Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 13 May 1952
12 May 1962
Zakir Hussain Varahagiri Venkata Giri Gopal Swarup Pathak Basappa Danappa Jatti
13 May 1962
12 May 1967
13 May 1967
3 May 1969
Zakir Hussain
31 August 1969
30 August 1974
Varahagiri Venkata Giri
5 6
31 August 1974
30 August 1979 Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed 30 August 1984 Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Giani Zail Singh Ramaswamy Venkataraman
Muhammad Hidayat Ullah 31 August 1979 Ramaswamy Venkataraman
31 August 1984
27 July 1987
Shankar Dayal Sharma
3 September 1987 24 July 1992
Kocheril Raman Narayanan
21 August 1992
24 July 1997
Shankar Dayal Sharma
10
Krishan Kant
21 August 1997
27 July 2002
Kocheril Raman Narayanan A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Pratibha Patil
11
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat 19 August 2002
21 July 2007
12
Mohammad Hamid Ansari 11 August 2007
Incumbent

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Sr. No. 1 2 3. 4.

Topic G-7 G-8 G-20 OPEC

Page number 2 ,3 4-14 15-27 27-36

SAARC Grand Slam Federalism Indian PMs

Indian PRez Vice Prez

G7-------FIG JUG + CANADA

History[edit source | editbeta]

November 1517, 1975

Chteau de Rambouillet, Rambouillet

June 2728, 1976

Jan Jordan Rodriguez

Dorado Beach Hotel, Dorado, Puerto Rico

May 78, 1977

10 Downing Street, London

July 1617, 1978

West Germany Hans Matthfer

Official residence of the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of GermanyBonn

May 2830, 1983

Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia

June 1923, 1988

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario

July 911, 1990

Rice University and other locations in the Museum District Houston,Texas

June 1517, 1995

Summit Place, Halifax. Nova Scotia

June 2729, 1996

Museum of Contemporary Art (Muse d'art Contemporain de Lyon),Lyon

February 1113, 2001

February 68, 2010

10-11 May, 2013

Hartwell House Hotel and Spa, Aylesbury

Wiki Loves Monuments: Photograph a monument, help Wikipedia and win!

"Group of Eight" redirects here. For other uses, see G8 (disambiguation).

Food[edit source | editbeta]

Structure and activities[edit source | editbeta]

Leaders of the G8 on 7 June 2007, inHeiligendamm, Germany

Global energy[edit source | editbeta]

G8 leaders confer during the 2009 summit inL'Aquila (Abruzzo, Italy).

Annual summit[edit source | editbeta]

November 1517, 1975

Valry Giscard d'Estaing

Rambouillet (Castle of Rambouillet)

June 2728, 1976

Dorado, Puerto Rico[28]

May 78, 1977

July 1617, 1978

Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia

June 2829, 1979

June 2223, 1980

July 2021, 1981

June 46, 1982

May 2830, 1983

10th June 79, 1984

11th May 24, 1985

Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia

12th May 46, 1986

13th June 810, 1987

14th June 1921, 1988

15th July 1416, 1989

16th July 911, 1990

17th July 1517, 1991

18th July 68, 1992

19th July 79, 1993

20th July 810, 1994