Huntsville and Toronto, Canada: 2010

June 25-27

Picture Credit: canadainternational.gc.ca

The June 2010 Canadian G8 and G20 summits were consecutively held in Huntsville and Toronto respectively. Themed "recovery and new beginnings," the world economy and global finances took centre stage in debates, and leaders were divided by conflicting aspirations for economic stimulus and deficit cuts. Non-binding commitments were laid out to cut national budget deficits by half within three years. Yet, with discussion of a global levy on banks dropped from the final communiqué, spending cuts are likely to be felt hardest in public sector spending. Despite the tokenistic presence of a few African leaders invited to give legitimacy to proceedings, old, and still unfulfilled, commitments of aid were recycled with no further pledges made. Other key issues on the agenda included trade and protectionism, Israel's blockade of Gaza and North Korea's nuclear programs. The summit cost the Canadian government around $930 million, which was mostly spent on security measures.

Articles and Documents

Peaceful Protest Suffered Amidst Heavy Security Measures and Acts of Vandalism (June 27, 2010)

In a statement released immediately following the Toronto G20 meeting, Amnesty International suggested the right to peaceful protest was restricted at the summit by excess security and the heavy police presence in the city. At a time when civil participation in issues of global concern should have been actively encouraged, Amnesty argues that many individuals felt too fearful to engage in demonstrations and public assembly, which narrowed the space for civic expression. (Amnesty International - Canada)

The G-20 Toronto Summit Declaration (June 26-27, 2010)

The G-20 emphasizes "strong, sustainable and balanced global growth" as its highest priority in the wordy and uninspiring 2010 Toronto Summit Declaration. The US stance on financial stimulus was overruled by others such as Germany and the UK, so the declaration codifies a commitment to budget balancing that will cause pain to millions of ordinary citizens. The G-20 promised to be accountable for its commitments, but in light of the many unfulfilled promises from previous summits, it seems likely that agreements will be neglected and performance shrouded by political rhetoric.

G8 Falls Short on Development Aid (June 22, 2010)

In advance of the Toronto G20 summit, G8 countries have issued the Muskoka Accountability Report, assessing the results of their commitments to international development aid. The report is a step towards greater accountability and transparency in the G8 process. It identifies areas of shortfall from the promises of the 2005 Gleneagles Summit, naming and shaming the countries responsible. Set within a long history of unfulfilled pledges, the G20 meeting in Canada offers leaders the opportunity to re-commit to the goals they earlier identified. But whether it will be the "recovery and new beginning," as the conference is named, remains to be seen. (IRIN)

A Fair and Substantial Contribution By the Financial Sector: Final Report for the G20

Prior to the Toronto summit, G20 leaders called upon the advisory and research functions of the IMF and asked the institution to provide a view on options for financial taxes to pay for the recent bank bailouts. This consultation reflects the summit focus on financial reform and was derived from G20 desires to define a policy response to spur recovery from global financial crisis. (IMF)

Global Policy Forum