ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the roles played by the Group of 7/Group of 8 (G7/G8) in Responsibility to Protect (R2P) cases and with respect to the humanitarian situation in Syria. It looks at the institution itself and then analyzes its position and role in the international system. The original members of the G7 are: Canada; France; Germany; Italy; Japan; United Kingdom; United States, with the European Community having one seat and sometimes two, at the table. In 1998, Russia joined, creating the G8. In 2014, Russia was at least temporarily suspended from the group, reverting back to the G7. A note on terminology: "G7/G8" will be used when discussing the institution generically or over its history; "G7" will refer to the institution prior to accepting Russia as a member; "G8" refers to the institution during Russia's membership; and, "G8-1: denotes the institution after it effectively exiled Russia in response to the 2014 Ukrainian political and military conflicts.
