Backgrounder

G8 Ministers participate in the G8 Summit preparatory process through meetings held separately from the annual Summit.

Historically the G8 Justice and Interior Ministers’ Meeting has focused on the work of the Lyon Group (formerly the Experts Group on Transnational Organized Crime). However, following the events of September 11, they will also incorporate the work of the Roma Group (formerly the Counter Terrorism Experts Group) into their discussions.

Origins of the G8 Justice and Interior Ministers’ Meetings
Canada last hosted the G8 Leaders’ Summit in 1995, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. While issues related to terrorism had been discussed at the G8 for some time, during this meeting it was decided that transnational organized crime needed to be addressed in greater detail. The Counter Terrorism Experts Group (CTEG) was already in place, but a separate group–the Experts Group on Transnational Organized Crime-was created and officially met in Ottawa later that year. Each group was tasked with developing recommendations on how the G8 countries could most effectively respond to terrorism and transnational organized crime.

In 1996, the Experts Group on Transnational Organized Crime submitted their recommendations to the Heads of State during their Summit in Lyon, at which point they became known as the Lyon Group.

The following year the Lyon Group’s mandate was renewed and the Leaders directed their Justice and Interior Ministers to intensify efforts to implement these recommendations. With the exception of the year 2000, Ministers have met annually since 1997.

Previous Meetings
Milan, Italy - 2001: The Ministers continued to implement recommendations by the Lyon Group to combat transnational organized crime. They also discussed illegal immigration, smuggling and trafficking of human beings, terrorism, and the financing of terrorism. In addition, they called for a crack down on crime and child pornography on the Internet and agreed to attach high priority to public awareness and prevention, as well as investigation and prosecution of individuals and groups involved in child pornography.

Moscow, Russia - 1999: The Ministers focused on global problems of fighting transnational crime and high-tech transnational crime, and issued a statement on terrorism, declaring that all terrorist acts are unjustified and criminal, wherever and by whomever they are committed. In this statement, the Ministers expressed a firm commitment to adhere to the UN Charter and international law, particularly regarding human rights.

UK (videoconference) - 1998: By holding this meeting via videoconference, the UK showed symbolically that governments use the same technology to fight crime, as the criminals use to commit crime. The meeting focused mainly on high-tech crime but also dealt with the smuggling and trafficking of human beings.

Washington, D.C. - 1997: Ministers agreed on a set of principles and an action plan to combat high-tech crime. These documents specifically addressed mutual legal assistance, cooperation with industry, and obtaining access over computer networks to gather evidence of crime.

International Conventions
The G8 has been a primary catalyst for the negotiation of several international counter-terrorist and counter-transnational organized crime conventions, adopted by the United Nations and other international organizations. For example:

• International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism: The International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism was open for signature in New York, December 9, 1999. All G8 nations signed the Convention, and it has been formally ratified by three of the eight nations (Canada, France and the U.K.).

• UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime: During the Palermo Conference in December 2000, 125 out of 145 attending nations-including all G8 nations-signed the Convention. Canada along with six other G8 nations have also signed the two protocols on trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants. A third protocol on illicit trafficking in firearms was added in 2001 and has been signed by Canada and Italy.

• Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime: This Convention, negotiated under the auspicies of the Council of Europe was opened for signature on November 23, 2001. The Convention covers both substantive offences committed by or through computers, as well as investigative procedures and international cooperation. To date, the Convention has been signed by 32 countries, including Canada and six of the other G8 partners.