12th G-15 summit

12th G-15 summit
Host country Venezuela
Dates September 27–28, 2004

The Twelfth G-15 summit was held in Caracas, Venezuela on February 27–28, 2004.[1]

The summit agenda of the Group of 15 (G-15)[2] encompassed a range of issues. The summit theme was "Energy and Development."[1]

The gathering brought together leaders, representatives and policymakers from non-aligned nations. African G-15 nations are Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. Those from Asia are India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Latin American G-15 nations include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.[3]

Overview

Main article: Group of 15

The Group of 15 was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement summit in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in September 1989. The name of the group is unchanging, but its composition has expanded to 18 countries.[4]

The G-15 is composed of countries from Africa, Asia, North America and South America. These non-aligned nations joined together to create a forum to foster cooperation and develop information which can be presented to other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization and the Group of Eight. The G-15 nations have a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperity. The group aims to encourage cooperation among developing countries in the areas of investment, trade, and technology.[4]

Leaders at the summit

Those G-15 nations represented at the summit were Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. The group's membership has expanded to 18 countries, but the name has remained unchanged.[5]

The leaders of G-15 nations are core contributors in summit meetings.[6] but only some of the heads-of-state were at the Caracas event:

Guest participants

The Group of 77 was represented by Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar .[7] United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary General Rubens Ricupero attended the summit.[10]

Priorities

The G-15 nations perceive an ongoing need to expand dialogue with the G8 nations. The G-15 want to help bridge the gap between developing countries and the more developed and industrialized nations.[4] For example, the G-15 converted this venue into an opportunity to express concern about the delays and limited progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.[1]

Issues

G-15 nations are united by shared perceptions of global economic issues; and the G-15 provides a structure for developing common strategies for dealing with these issues.[11]

G15 nations have joined together in hopes of escaping from the more polemical atmosphere in other multinational groups and organizations, such as the Group of 77 (G-77).[11]

Schedule and agenda

The summit provides an opportunity to focus on the importance of cooperation in facing challenges of food, energy, climate change, health and trade. Delegations from 19 nations met to discuss energy cooperation between member states and fighting poverty.[12]

Bilateral meetings between the Venezuelan and Iranian presidents resulted in During his stay in Caracas for the G-15 conference, Iranian President an announcement of US$700 million to be invested by Iran in Venezuela's state-owned aluminum industry and the corollary transfer of Venezuelan aluminum-processing technology to Iran.[13]

Security

An estimated 11,000 soldiers and national guards were deployed in security operations for the summit.[8] Violence broke out in the streets of Caracas.[14] Clashes involving antigovernment demonstrators caused at least 2 deaths and 14 wounded by gunfire.[15] Demonstrators tried to break a security perimeter established by the Venezuelan Army a kilometer away from where the G-15 leaders were meeting.[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 G-15 Joint Communiqué
  2. ↑ The official website adopts the "G-15" orthography (with a hyphen) in order to distinguish an abbreviated reference to this group in contrast with other similarly named entities.
  3. ↑ Kuwait News Agency (KUNA): "Khatami leaves [for] Venezuela to participate in G-15 summit." February 26, 2004.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Prematillake, Tharindu. "Lanka Heads Powerful G-15 Serving Collective Interests," The Nation (Colombo). May 22, 2010.
  5. ↑ Afrasiabi, Kaveh L. "Cool G-15 heads take the heat," Asia Times (Hong Kong). May 15, 2010; retrieved 2011-08-26
  6. ↑ Rieffel, Lex. "Regional Voices in Global Governance: Looking to 2010 (Part IV)," Brookings. March 27, 2009.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Venezuelanalysis: "Speech by President Hugo Chávez, at the opening of XII G-15 Summit." March 1, 2004.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 MercoPress: "G-15 in Caracas Marred by Violent Incidents." February 28, 2004.
  9. ↑ Indonesia Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Profile of Hassan Wirajuda
  10. ↑ UNCTAD: "Secretary-General of UNCTAD addresses G15 Summit in Venezuela Secretary-General of UNCTAD Addresses G15 Summit in Venezuela," February 27, 2004.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chauhan, Sandeep. Demand for New International Economic Order, p. 129, at Google Books (p. 129)
  12. ↑ "Injustice breeds terrorism, says Iran's Khatami," CNN World. February 29, 2004; retrieved 2011-08-25
  13. ↑ Institute for Cuban & Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS), University of Miami: "Cuban Foreign Policy in the Middle East" citing Reuters, "Venezuela and Iran discuss aluminum and cement deals", 27 January 2004.
  14. ↑ Kingstone, Steve. "G15 Leaders end Venezuela Summit," BBC. February 29, 2004.
  15. ↑ Forero, Juan. "2 Killed as Troops Fight Protesters in Venezuela," New York Times. February 28, 2004; retrieved 2011-08-25

References

External links

Preceded by
11th G-15 summit		 12th G-15 summit
2004
Caracas 		Succeeded by
13th G-15 summit