Location: New York
Date: 25 September, 2007

Context: The CGI Side Event will be co chaired by Paul Martin and President Cardoso. With the assistance of CGI we are inviting selected individuals from their list and individuals from our own network withless than thirty at the table. Cardoso and Martin will make the case that the global commons issues require political leadership by national Leaders, that the G8 is outmoded- being no longer legitimate or effective – and that a more inclusive and well prepared summit process would produce more effective results. These hypotheses were tested using the example of climate change and energy security (we believe that we will never get a one dimensional deal binding GHG emissions - other issues must be on the table to design a package deal that will compensate developing countries sufficiently to make binding commitments).The “test” was our L20 project, which convened a series of meetings of sherpas and former sherpas, with experts, from the G8 countries and from China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico. This more inclusive process resulted in the draft “grand bargain”. Martin and Cardoso believe that the way forward is to stop the insulting G8 practice of inviting the ”+5“ for part of the meeting and then ushering them out. Martin and Cardoso will want to discuss how to promote this idea that it is in the US and others’ selfish interest to establish a well prepared process, expanding the number of Leaders.