ABSTRACT
Thischapterisnotaboutconflictpreventionassuch.Itisinsteadabouthowdecisions aremade-onconflictpreventionoranyothersubject-attheG8summitandin theG7/8systemasawhole.SummitmeetingsliketheG7andG8,whereheadsof governmentmeetinformallyinasmallgroup,areadeviceto'concentrateminds'on co-operativedecisionmaking,inresponsetointractableproblemswhereinternational anddomesticpressuresinteract. 1
Forabout15yearsaftertheG7summitsbegan,decisionmakingtookplaceontwo closelyknitlevels.Onelevelcomprisedtheheadsofgovernmentthemselvesandthe foreignandfinanceministers,whoalwaysaccompaniedthemtothesummit.The secondwascomposedofasmallteamofbureaucratsledbythehead'spersonal representativeor'sherpa'.Follow-upwasentrustedtowiderinstitutions.Butduring the1990sandearly2000s,theshapeoftheG7/8summitschangedradically.The headsofgovernmentdetachedtheirflankingministersandbeganmeetingby themselves.Thesupportingapparatus,atbothofficialandministeriallevels,became muchmorecomplexanddevelopedalifeofitsown.Manymoreoutsidecontributors becameinvolvedbothinthepreparationofthesummitsandintheirfollow-up.
