40th G7 summit Facts for Kids

The 40th G8 summit was a big meeting where leaders from some of the world's most powerful countries gathered. It took place in Brussels, Belgium, on June 4–5, 2014.

This meeting was originally planned for Sochi, Russia, near the Black Sea. However, after Russia became involved in the 2014 Crimean crisis, many people thought Russia should not be part of the G8 group anymore. On March 24, 2014, David Cameron, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced that the meeting would not happen in Russia because of the situation in Crimea. The other seven countries decided to hold the summit without Russia. This meant the G8 group became the G7 group for this meeting.

Who Was There?
- Other Leaders Invited
What Happened at the Meeting?
Protests and Demonstrations
Business Opportunities
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

Who Was There?

The main people at the summit were the leaders of the "core members" of the group, which are the G7 countries. These countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union also sends representatives.

Member		Represented by	Title
Core G7 members The country hosting the meeting and its leader are shown in bold text.
	Canada	Stephen Harper	Prime Minister
	France	François Hollande	President
	Germany	Angela Merkel	Chancellor
	Italy	Matteo Renzi	Prime Minister
	Japan	Shinzō Abe	Prime Minister
	United Kingdom	David Cameron	Prime Minister
	United States	Barack Obama	President
	European Union	José Manuel Barroso	Commission President
	European Union	Herman Van Rompuy	Council President

Other Leaders Invited

Sometimes, other national leaders are invited to attend parts of the summit. This allows for wider discussions.

What Happened at the Meeting?

On June 4, 2014, the leaders of the G7 nations made a joint statement. They strongly criticized Russia for "continuing violation" of Ukraine's independence. They also said they were ready to put more punishments, called sanctions, on Russia if its actions in Ukraine continued.

This G7 summit was the first one since Russia was removed from the group. Russia was removed after it took control of Crimea in March 2014.

Protests and Demonstrations

When big international meetings like the G8 summit happen, protest groups and activists often gather. They use these events to share their views and try to influence the leaders. Planning for the summit always includes thinking about these possible demonstrations.

Business Opportunities

For some businesses, a G8 summit can be a chance to make money. For example, special "G8 Summit" magazines have been published since 1998. These magazines provide information about the summit and its goals.

University of Toronto: G8 Information Centre
Parliament.uk, Graphic shows G8 in context