G8 Research Group

The Peace and Security section of the 2011 G8 Declaration, “Renewed Commitment for Freedom and Democracy,” begins with strong statements on the situation in Libya. The G8 declared that Qadhafi and the Libyan government have lost all legitimacy and that “he must go.” The declaration demands the cessation of the use of force against civilians and stresses the importance of punishing those responsible for these criminal actions, supporting the work of the International Criminal Court. In addition, the G8 Declaration looks forward to a transition “that reflects the will of the Libyan people,” endorsing the Interim National Council’s “Road Map on Libya” and supporting the role of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy to Libya in facilitating a lasting political solution.

On the issue of Afghanistan, the G8 stated its commitment to a “stable, peaceful and sovereign Afghanistan, free of terrorism, extremist violence, and illicit drug production and trafficking, with full ownership of its security, governance and development, based on the principle of non-intervention in Afghanistan internal affairs and mutual non-interference.” The members also agreed to the areas of action proposed by the French Presidency, especially regional cooperation.

Regarding the historic changes underway in the Middle East and North Africa, the G8, along with the Prime Ministers of Egypt and Tunisia, issued a stand-alone declaration on the Arab Spring. The declaration marks the launch of the “Deauville Partnership” with the people of the region to enshrine common values of freedom and democracy, while assisting with transitions. The Partnership is based on two pillars: “a political process to support the democratic transition and foster governance reforms” and “an economic framework for sustainable and inclusive growth” with the aim of creating jobs and enshrining the fair rule of law. The declaration does not include specific economic commitment by G8 members. However, it does state that “multilateral development banks could provide over $20billion” and “G8 members are already in a position to mobilize substantial bilateral support to scale-up this effort.”

Therefore, Canada is awarded a score of 0.75 for: the G8’s commitment to French initiatives for Afghanistan; discussion of the situation in Libya and planning for its transition; and, committing political and economic aid through the “Deauville Partnership,” but not committing specific economic aid to Libya or Tunisia.