German G7 Presidency
Dialogue with civil society
During Germany’s G7 Presidency Chancellor Angela Merkel intends to engage in a comprehensive dialogue with civil society. She will be meeting representatives of the science and research community, the business community, the trade unions, non-governmental organisations, young people and women from G7 states.
Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to engage in a comprehensive dialogue with civil society
Source: Bundesregierung/Denzel
The meetings of the heads of state and government of the leading western industrialised nations have always looked at global challenges and societal development. With the development of free, self-assured and well organised civil society, the G7 nations have become increasingly open to the request for greater participation and have devised a number of different dialogue forums.
Meetings extremely important
The "Civil-G8-Dialogue" in the run-up to the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm was one of the milestones along the way. In preparations for the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany will be upholding this tradition. Great importance is attached to engaging in dialogue with the different groups that make up civil society.
It is the express wish of Chancellor Angela Merkel that she be personally involved in this dialogue with international representatives of civil society. The German G7 Presidency is based on the understanding that civil society engagement cannot be directed by the state. The groups themselves are thus responsible for the subject matter to be covered by the dialogue process.
Dialogue in the run-up to the summit
Germany’s G7 Presidency welcomes the fact that representatives of German non-governmental organisations, trade unions, the science and research community and the business community are willing to enter a dialogue on the topics of the summit agenda. There are also plans to engage in talks with young people and women in order to incorporate their interests in global governance processes.
In cooperation with BDI (The Voice of German Industry), the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB), the Forum on Environment and Development and VENRO, the umbrella organisation of development non-governmental organisations in Germany, the dates have already been set. The dialogue process with young people from G7 states is being organised under the aegis of the Federal Family Affairs Ministry in conjunction with UNICEF.
Overview of the dialogue forums
- Dialogue forum with trade union representatives on 23 March 2015 in Berlin
- Dialogue forum with non-governmental organisations on 20 April 2015 in Berlin
- Dialogue forum with the science and research community on 29 April 2015 in Berlin
- Dialogue with business associations on 20 May 2015 in Berlin
- Youth summit on 11 May 2015 in Berlin
- Dialogue with women in business, science and research and civil society on 16 September 2015 in Berlin