The Apulia Summit

THE Group of Seven or G7 Summit will be held in Borgo Egnazia in Apulia, on June 13 to 15, 2024. The event will bring together the leaders of the seven member states, as well as the president of the European Council and the president of the European Commission, representing the European Union (EU). The Group of Seven Summit will be held in Borgo Egnazia in Apulia, on June 13 to 15, 2024. In line with previous G7 fora, representatives of a number of states and international organizations will take part in the work, invited by the nation that holds the presidency.G7 Leaders will gather in one of the most fascinating locations in the world, surrounded by the hospitality of the region of Apulia.An icon of Italian excellence for its natural and artistic beauty, Apulia has historically played a role as a bridge between the east and west of the world. Over the centuries, this land has welcomed different peoples, cultures and religions that have left a rich heritage. Brogo Egnazia, Apulia and its historical role contributed to the selection of the Group of Seven Summit venue. The historical role the region has played in promoting dialogue makes it an ideal place to bring together the leaders of the G7, the invited nations and international organizations to address major global issues.The one to be held in Apulia will be the seventh Summit of the G7 hosted in Italy. The previous summits had been organized in Venice (1980 – 1987), Naples (1994), Genoa (2001), L' Aquila (2008) and Taormina (2017).History the G7G7 is an informal forum that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA). The EU also participates in the group and is represented at the summits by the president of the European Council and the president of the European Commission.The G7 had been established as a platform for economic and financial cooperation in response to the 1973 energy crisis. The first summit of Heads of State and Government had been held in 1975 in Rambouillet, France. It has included France, USA, UK, Germany, Japan and Italy.In 1976, with the admission of Canada, the G7 has taken its current configuration. Since 1977, representatives of the European Economic Community, now EU, also participate in the work of the Group. The EU does not hold the rotating presidency of the G7.The G7 has expanded into the G8 between 1997 and 2013 with the inclusion of Russia. However, Russia's participation was suspended in 2014 following the illegal annexation of Crimea. Château de Rambouillet in France is the venue of the first group of Seven Summit in 1975. Over the years, G7 has progressively expanded its focus. From an ad-hoc gathering to discuss financial challenges, it has become a more formal, prominent venue to address major global issues. This evolution became even more evident at the beginning of the new millennium, as the G7 recognized the need for more technical and detailed discussions on these complex issues.Consequently, it initiated the first thematic ministerial meetings to delve deeper into specific topics and bring more nuanced insights into the G7's deliberations. The G7 is a group united by common values and principles, and plays an invaluable role on the international arena in upholding freedom, democracy and human rights. Members of the Group of Seven attend the firm summit organized in Venice, Italy on June 22 to 23, 1980. How the G7 process worksCompared to an international organization, the G7 does not have a permanent administrative structure. Each year, starting from Jan 1, one of the member states takes over the leadership of the group on a rotating basis.The nation holding the presidency serves as a temporary secretariat and hosts the group work and the Leaders' Summit. Most importantly, the presidency plays a key role in setting the agenda and identifying key priorities.On Jan. 1, 2024, Italy assumes the presidency for the seventh time in its history, succeeding Japan and will hand it over to Canada on Dec. 31, 2024.The summit, the G7 presidency's centerpiece, is attended by the heads of state and government of the seven member states representatives of the EU, as well as states and international organizations invited by the presidency.The G7 Summit concludes with the adoption of a communiqué outlining important political commitments. These communiques — and more broadly, the G7 decisions — have a significant influence on global governance and decision-making processes.The summits are prepared by the Sherpas, who are personal representatives of the heads of state and government. Sherpas are responsible for overseeing the negotiations and drafting the group's final communiqué. The process incorporates contributions from various tracks, including political directors, Foreign Affairs Sous-Sherpa and the finance-deputies.Ministerial meetingsSince 1998, due to the gradual expansion of the G7 agenda, the group has been convening at the ministerial level to address specific issues.These play a crucial role in ensuring a coherent and thorough approach to the G7 agenda and provide a solid foundation for the summit discussions and negotiations. Many of the ministerial meetings' outcomes and decisions feed into the Sherpa track and in the final communiqué.The meetings will take place across the whole national territory. In 2024, the Italian Presidency is set to host 20 ministerial meetings.The involvement of civil societyEngagement with relevant stakeholders is a fundamental part of the G7's approach.To widen participation and integrate diverse perspectives into its decision-making process, the G7 has established civil society's Engagement Groups. These groups bring together representatives from various sectors of civil society.Each Group focuses on a distinct issue such as research, science and culture. It mirrors the governmental process by organizing its own summit and ends its work by delivering to the G7 presidency a set of recommendations for the leaders.Dialogue with emerging economies and developing nationsThe G7's engagement with — and inclusion of — emerging economies and developing nations has evolved alongside the progressive expansion of the group's agenda. A notable example was at the 2001 Summit, where Italy pioneered the "African ssegment."This segment featured dedicated dialogue sessions between G7 leadersand representatives of invited African nations.This process has continued over the following decades, where the G7 focus has continued to expand, shifting to address a wide array of global issues including the climate-energy nexus and food security.The Italian G7 presidency logoThe core element of the Italian G7 presidency logo is a secular olive tree. It is one of the most widespread and iconic trees in the Italian and Mediterranean landscape and mostly in Apulia, where the Leaders' Summit will take place.The logo depicts the olive tree in its main features: firm roots emerging from the ground, a knobby trunk, lush foliage and olives.This tree appears as well in the Italian Republic's emblem, embodying national identity and its projection into the future. The tree is crossed by a blue graphics symbol, recalling the Mediterranean Sea, the "middle sea" in which Italy historically and culturally holds a central position and connects the world's two great maritime spaces, the Atlantic on one side and the Indo-Pacific on the other.Among the tree's fronds seven olives are depicted, representing the seven nations that make up the G7 and cooperate on global challenges. The Group of Seven or G7 Italian Presidency logo depicts the olive tree in its main features: firm roots emerging from the ground, a knobby trunk, lush foliage and olives. Source: https://www.g7italy.it/en/ Message by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy Giorgia Meloni ON Jan. 1, 2024, Italy assumed for the seventh time, the presidency of the Group of Seven or G7 — the group that brings together Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA).The G7, in which the European Union (EU) also participates, is united by common values and principles and plays an invaluable role in defending freedom and democracy and addressing global challenges.The Italian presidency will last until Dec. 31, 2024, and will feature a dense program of technical meetings and institutional events throughout the country. The main event, the Leaders' Summit, will be held on June 13 to 15 in Apulia.A key focus of the Italian presidency will be the defense of the rules based international system. Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine has undermined its principles and triggered growing instability, with multiple crises unfolding worldwide.The G7 will give equal importance to the conflict in the Middle East, with its consequences for the global agenda.The relationship with developing nations and emerging economies will be central. The engagement with Africa will be a key priority. We will work to build a cooperation model based on mutually beneficial partnerships, away from paternalistic or predatory logics. Particular attention will also be paid to the Indo-Pacific region.Italy will ensure great attention to migration, together with some of the greatest challenges of our time including the climate-energy nexus and food security. The G7, together with its global partners, has the responsibility and duty to identify innovative solutions.Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also feature in the Italian program. This technology can generate great opportunities but also enormous risks, affecting geopolitical balances. It is necessary to develop governance mechanisms and ensure that AI remains human-centered and human-controlled, giving concrete applications to the concept of algorethics.