Printer-friendly versionSend by emailPDF version

Evian, France--the world capital of designer water--may be a fitting city to host the heads of state from the eight most powerful industrial nations from June 1-3. But the image of wealthy leaders sipping "l'original" gourmet H20 will hardly help the G-8, as the exclusive group is known, to defend itself against charges of being an elitist and undemocratic forum. Debt and arms control, two important issues on the Evian meeting's agenda, show that those who gather to protest are not only voicing important criticisms about the illegitimacy of the meeting, but are also proposing vital solutions to international problems, says this Foreign Policy in Focus commentary.