The Fourteenth G-15 summit was held in Tehran, Iran on May 17–20, 2010. The bi-annual summit agenda of the Group of 15 (G-15)[1] encompassed a range of issues.[2]
14th G-15 Summit | |
---|---|
Host country | Iran |
Dates | May 15–17, 2010 |
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]
The Group of 15 was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement summit in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in September 1989. The name of this group is unchanging, but its composition has expanded to 18 countries.[3]
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.[3]
Meeting independently in Tehran, ministers from Brazil, Iran and Turkey negotiated an agreement on principles designed to revive a stalled nuclear fuel-swap deal backed by the United Nations.[4]
Those 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 G-15 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 Teheran event:
Government leaders | ||
Algeria | President | Abdelaziz Bouteflika[7] |
Brazil | President | Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva[7] |
Iran | President | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad[7] |
Senegal | President | Abdoulaye Wade[7] |
Sri Lanka | President | Mahinda Rajapakse[7] |
Turkey | Prime Minister | Recep Tayyip Erdogan[7] |
Zimbabwe | President | Robert Mugabe[8] |
Argentina | represented by its permanent representative in Geneva[7] | |
Chile | represented by the president's special envoy [7] | |
Egypt | represented by the Minister of Investment[9] | |
India | represented by its Foreign Minister.[7] | |
Indonesia | represented by the president's special envoy and the Minister of Industries[7] | |
Kenya | Vice-President | Kalonzo Musyoka[10] |
Malaysia | represented by the Deputy Minister of Finance[2] | |
Mexico | represented by its Ambassador to Iran[7] | |
Nigeria | represented by its Foreign Minister[7] |
The G-15 perceive an ongoing need to expand dialogue with the G8 and with the G20. The G-15 want to help bridge the gap between developing countries and the more developed and industrialized nations. The fact that some of the G-15 are simultaneously members of these other forums is expected to be helpful.[3]
G-15 nations are united by shared perceptions of global economic issues; and the G-15 provides a structure for working out common strategies for dealing with these issues.[11] For example, the G-15 opposes using the international economic and financial systems as political instruments. The group condemns the use of coercive economic measures or laws against developing countries.[12]
G-15 nations have joined together in hopes of escaping from the more polemical atmosphere in other multi-national groups and organizations, such as the Group of 77 (G-77). For example, the 14th G-15 summit called for reform of Bretton Woods institutions and examining alternate sources of financing for the developing world.[12]
The summit was a venue for three-way talks between Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Brazilian President Lula da Silva and Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Their negotiations led to the announcement of a program of exchange in Turkey of Iran's low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel processed abroad.[13] The announcement of a diplomatic break-through was met with scepticism in Western capitals.[14]
The summit focused on the importance of cooperation in facing the current challenges of food, energy, climate change, health and trade. The G-15 agenda included discussions of the Doha Round, intellectual properties and the global financial crisis.
The chairmanship of the G-15 passed from Iran to Sri Lanka at the end of the summit; and Sri Lanka will host the next scheduled group meeting in Colombo, the 15th G-15 summit in 2012.[3]