Canada and the G7

The is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union.

Overview

The G7 is a an informal grouping of advanced democracies that meets at the level of Leaders, ministers and officials to coordinate approaches to global economic stability, threats to international peace and security, and other transnational issues. As a member of the G7, Canada plays a leading role on the international stage and is able to advance domestic and international priorities.

Canada’s G7 presidency

Canada assumed the presidency of the G7 for the seventh time on January 1, 2025, and will host the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, 2025. This high-level event will be an opportunity for G7 members and invited guests to discuss the world’s most pressing issues from international peace and security to global economic stability and the digital transition. Canada’s G7 Presidency is focused on three priorities:

• Protecting our communities and the world;
• Building energy security and accelerating the digital transition;
• Securing the partnerships of the future.

To develop an agenda that resonates with Canadians, the Government of Canada engaged with domestic stakeholders and partners, including Indigenous partners, provinces and territories, business, civil society, academia and international organizations. Canada also conducted outreach with international partners.

As part of its presidency year, Canada hosted a G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec, from March 12-14, 2025, and a G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting in Banff, Alberta, from May 20-22, 2025.

Canada’s past G7 presidencies

Canada hosted six G7 summits to date:

• Charlevoix, Quebec (2018)
• Muskoka, Ontario (2010)
• Kananaskis, Alberta (2002)
• Halifax, Nova Scotia (1995)
• Toronto, Ontario (1988)
• Ottawa-Montebello, Ontario-Quebec (1981)

Over the years, the G7 has been an important forum to amplify Canadian priorities and initiatives in the fields of global health and security, democracy, biodiversity, as well as women and girls’ education.  For instance, in 2018, the Charlevoix Declaration on Quality Education galvanized $3.8 billion for鈥痚ducation for women and girls, the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism was created to counter foreign threats to democracy, and the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) was established to promote and integrate gender equality across the G7鈥痑genda. In 2010, under the Muskoka Initiative, Canada and its global partners pledged more than USD $7.3 billion to support Maternal, Newborn and Children Health, and committed to supporting Strengthening Civilian Security Systems initiatives to reduce conflict-related instability, protect civilians, and counter terrorism and transnational crime.

How the G7 works

In 1976, Canada joined the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States to discuss coordinated responses to global crises, and in 1977 the European Union was invited to attend. The G7 is a consensus-based grouping and operates without a treaty or permanent secretariat.

The group’s presidency rotates annually among the seven member countries in the following order: France, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada. The European Union is not part of the rotation. It is the presidency’s prerogative to define a set of priorities for the year and to host and organize the Leaders' Summit, ministerial meetings, and other associated events. The number and choice of ministerial meetings is the prerogative of the G7 presidency. Ministerial meetings  typically culminate in ministerial communiqués or joint plans of action.

Although G7 Summits and ministerial meetings are highlights of any G7 presidency, the G7 is active year-round. G7 Leaders and Ministers convene additional meetings as needed to address emergent global crises or other acute international challenges. G7 expert and working groups meet throughout the year, often to move forward commitments made at high-level G7 meetings.

Independent, non-government bodies called the G7 engagement groups typically provide recommendations to the G7 on an annual basis. These groups of stakeholders often hold their own summits in the months leading up to the G7 Summit. These engagement groups include the:

• Business 7 (B7)
• Civil Society 7 (C7)
• Labour 7 (L7)
• Science 7 (S7)
• Think Tank 7 (T7)
• Women 7 (W7)
• Youth 7 (Y7)

Canadian officials also engage civil society stakeholders year-round in order to inform and support Canada’s participation in the G7.

In 2018, Canada established the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) as an independent advisory body to advance gender equality in the G7 and globally. Since then, GEAC has produced annual recommendations on advancing gender equality, including in areas such as women’s political participation and leadership, sexual and gender-based violence, education, paid and unpaid care work and women’s roles in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes. An example of GEAC’s impact is the annual G7 Dashboard for Gender Gaps launched in 2022 based on a GEAC recommendation.

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