Model G8 USA

G8 Youth Network

The G8 Youth Summit is organized by a network of independent, national organizing committees, known as The Model G8 Network. Each national organizing committee is responsible for recruiting its own delegation as well as organizing the Youth Summit during its respective government’s Presidency of the G8.

What happens at the Summit?

The G8 Youth Summit is both a model and a summit. Students from 13 countries from around the world (G8+5) convene for one week to discuss current global issues and to propose solution to these problems. In keeping with the “model” aspect of the event, students play assigned roles while representing their countries and must use the informal, consensus methods of negotiation adopted by the G8. However, students are not only playing roles at the Summit; they are attempting to offer the youth perspective on important issues. Thus, at the conclusion of each summit, the students present a final communiqué, representing their consensus on the topics they’ve discussed, to government officials in the host country. The final communiqué represents the culmination of a process that is approximately 4-5 months long.

  • Planning and Team Selection by National Organizing Committees
    (4-5 months prior to the Summit)
  • Research and topic identification by participants
    (2-3 months before Summit)
  • Submission of Position Papers to Head of State and Sherpa
    (1 month before Summit)
  • Negotiation of Agenda amongst Heads of State and Sherpas
    (3-4 weeks prior to Summit)
  • Finalization of Agenda and Additional Research
    (2 weeks prior to Summit)
  • Summit
  • Presentation of Final Communiqué to national governments
    (Summer after Summit)

The Summit itself is a week-long event that generally takes place in March or early April. The Summit consists of an opening ceremony, a number of sightseeing and cultural events, three days of ministerial negotiations, informal evening work sessions, a final drafting session, and a closing ceremony at which the communiqué is signed and presented. There are typically also seminars with experts from government, industry, academia, and NGOs interspersed with the negotiations.

Upcoming Events:

Click here to read details of upcoming events: To find out more about past events, please click on the links below:

Past Events:

Founded in 2006, there have been three previous G8 Youth Summits. These events have played host to approximately 300 college and graduate students from 13 different countries. The host country of the Summit rotates amongst the 8 Member States, following the Presidency of the Group of Eight (G8). To find out more about past events, please click on the links below:


Japan 2008 Japan 2008