forum: Priorities Traditionally, the host country of the G8 summit sets the agenda for negotiations, which take place primarily amongst multi-national civil servants in the weeks before the summit itself, leading to a joint declaration which all countries can agree to sign. Issues The summit was intended as a venue for resolving differences among its members. As a practical matter, the summit was also conceived as an opportunity for its members to give each other mutual encouragement in the face of difficult economic decisions. Agenda Global health was first introduced as an agenda at this G8 summit in 2000. Business opportunity For some, the G8 summit became a profit-generating event; as for example, the official G8 Summit magazines which have been published under the auspices of the host nations for distribution to all attendees since 1998. A picture of Shureimon appears on the Japanese 2,000 yen note, released in 2000 in commemoration of the summit in Okinawa; and the Japanese government encountered criticism for having spent more than $750 million to hold this event. Namie Amuro's song "Never End" was made for the summit. Gallery Notes References Bayne, Nicholas and Robert D. Putnam. (2005). Staying together: the G8 summit confronts the 21st century. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing. ; OCLC 217979297 Reinalda, Bob and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998). Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations. London: Routledge. ; ; OCLC 39013643 External links No official website is created for any G7 summit prior to 1995 -- see the 21st G7 summit. Official prefectural website: Okinawa Summit 2000 Archives Japanese Prime Minister's Office (Kantei) website: select summit photos Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) website: select summit documents University of Toronto: G8 Research Group, G8 Information Centre G8 2000, delegations & documents 2000 G8 summit G8 summit 2000 G8 summit 2000 G8 summit 2000 G8 summit G8 summit July 2000 events in Asia