ABSTRACT
In the post-cold war era, the G7/8 system has evolved in both its role and scope. Created originally as a vehicle for economic policy co-ordination among the major industrial powers of the western world, the G7/8 has grown beyond its original purpose to become an increasingly credible source of global governance. Throughout the 1990s, the G7/8 has expanded its agenda to deal with global issues such as the environment, transnational crime, and social policies. This expansion seems to indicate an evolution of the group's core norms and principles, signalling a significant transformation of the institution itself.
