The expansion of the G8 to the G14 is taking place with new structures being put together with hairpins and chewing gum. Anticipated initially by John Kirton, Director of the G8 Institute, the Canadians, beginning with Paul Martin, pushed the fact that China and India were in the category of the fourth largest economies of the world.

The initial architecture and engineering of Leadership from the Top (L20) was by policy think-tanks, particularly Blackberry Chief Jim Basilie-sponsored CIGI.The academics who at Martin's pushing wrote L20, the book which contained the architecture, were cautiously optimistic.

At the G8 meeting in the Bahamas, the British Prime Minister and the Russian President announced that India and China would be permanent invitees, so we had G10. Meanwhile, after the WTO fiascos in the London meeting, for the first time the Group 5 was invited. This was the US, EEC, India, Brazil and China. South Africa was to follow and we had G12. Given the volatility and importance of Africa to the emerging world, it was just time before Egypt would be included and to balance two in Africa, Mexico (G14).Angel Gurria, Secretary of the OECD was factually correct in saying that, what is happening here (L Aquila) is simply an acknowledgement of reality.

Gurria had a piece in the L20 book listing the global agenda for the high table. The book was also on the uneasy nature of the structure being created. First, there was first the differing nature of global interests. Invited to write for India, I argued that water and food security, energy and global trade and the financial architecture would be the menu we would bring to the high table and the question of the quantum jumps for the large countries as they look ahead rather than the incrementalism of the Developed G8.

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