Global Policy Forum

By Philip Willan

Italy plans to invite the leaders of developing countries and others of high moral standing to the G8 summit in Genoa next month in an attempt to head off violent anti-capitalist protests. The foreign minister, Renato Ruggiero, announced the decision at a meeting with the Genoa Social Forum (GSF), a group of more than 700 anti-globalisation organisations expected at the summit.

Mr Ruggiero said the government would invite Olusegun Obasanjo, the president of Nigeria, Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa and chairman of the non-aligned movement, Alpha Oumar Konare, president of Mali, and Sheik Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh and spokesman for the 49 poorest states. "Together with the president of the republic [Carlo Azeglio] Ciampi and prime minister [Silvio] Berlusconi we have decided to invite nine personalities who have an unquestioned moral authority in the debate about the great problems of the world," Mr Ruggiero told the GSF leaders.

Personalities include Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, Rigoberta Menchu, the Nobel peace prize-winning human rights campaigner from Guatemala, Mary Robinson, the former Irish president, and the Indian economist Amartya Sen. Mr Ruggiero and Claudio Scajola, the interior minister, met leaders of the social forum to agree on the form that protests will take in the steep and narrow streets of the hillside port city before and during the summit from July 20 to 22.

Italy wants to give as high a profile as possible to the social issues espoused by protesters to avoid the mob violence witnessed at recent summits. Mr Ruggiero said the summit would discuss ways of reducing poverty, combating Aids and achieving sustainable development. "These are three policies that only the eight most industrialised countries can successfully promote in favour of the developing countries. The debate on these themes alone would be enough to justify the G8 meeting," he told the GSF leader, Vittorio Agnoletto.

Mr Ruggiero acknowledged that world problems were of a nature and dimensions that were often unacceptable, but said: "The denunciation of these problems is not, however, the exclusive right of those who come to Genoa to protest." Mr Agnoletto said that the meeting with GSF had been a success because Rome had recognised the right to protest during the summit and the need to meet protest leaders. But he said the GSF and the government still spoke two completely different languages.

Three rightwing MPs described the gesture as "a clever media trick" but said they were far from reassured. British protesters planning to attend the Genoa summit said last night that they welcomed the moves, but wanted to see action rather than more statements of intent.

"It's essential that world leaders listen to civil society, but they must act," said a spokeswoman for Drop the Debt (Jubilee 2000) which aims to send hundreds of people by bus and plane. "We're encouraged by efforts to accommodate protesters," said Globalise Resistance, a socialist workers' group sending more than 500 people. "But I doubt if we can trust Berlusconi's government."

Others, who asked not to be named, said that the violence would not be perpetrated by established groups. "They need to talk to the small hardcore of anarchists who will be out to create mayhem. I doubt this will change anything," said one.

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