D-8: Lost in the Shadow of the G-8
Madhavi Bhasin
Research Scholar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
e-mail:
madhavibhasin@gmail.com
The much hyped G-8 Summit from 7-8 July was preceded by the marginally referred to D-8 Summit . The economic and political clout of the G-8 nations attracted global attention. On the other hand the D-8 Summit, addressing the concerns of eight Islamic nations held at Kuala Lumpur failed to capture popular attention. Though the G-8 Summit may have been more high profile, the existence of the D-8 and its summits are equally vital for world politics.
The 6th Summit of the Group of Eight Developing Islamic Countries that took place in Kuala Lumpur from 4-8 July focused on meeting challenges through innovative cooperation. The D-8 was launched in 1997 and its member countries include Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. The D-8, representing 15% of the world population, seeks to promote ; 'Peace instead of conflict, dialogue instead of confrontation, cooperation instead of exploitation, justice instead of double-standard, equality instead of discrimination, democracy instead of oppression.'
The issues of food crisis, rising oil prices, and the meaningful conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda were among the top global concerns discussed during the Kuala Lumpur Summit. The member countries expressed support for the speedy accession of Iran into the W.T.O. The people to people contact among member countries was expected to receive a boost through the Agreement on Simplification of Visa Procedures and the MOU on Air Services Cooperation. Iran's proposals for an Agricultural Working Group and Joint Investment Fund for supporting the implementation of D-8 projects have been adopted for consideration by the member states. The D-8 Roadmap for 2008-10 seeks to guide the future activities of the group . Several bilateral agreements between the D-8 members were also finalized at the sidelines of the Summit. Indonesia-Malaysia Eminent Persons Group was officially established, and Pakistan and Malaysia agreed on undertaking projects for fostering agricultural cooperation.
After a decade long existence the achievements of D-8 might appear small and their challenges great. Nevertheless, the D-8 is a forum which can be used to address some of the most vital challenges facing the world in contemporary times. The insistence of the D-8 on developing alternate fuels and exploring peaceful uses of nuclear energy along with their re-affirmed commitment to enhance cooperation in climate change negotiations provides an interesting meeting ground for the developed nations and the D-8 members. The strategic importance of D-8 members makes the grouping a rare forum for the developed countries to conduct institutional dialogue. Iran and Nigeria's involvement with the grouping enhance its importance since the two also happen to be members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. With the exception of Turkey, the other D-8 members share a vital commonality through their membership of the Non-Aligned Movement. In bringing the members of OPEC and NAM together the D-8 has emerged as a compact sub-group through which meaningful negotiations can be conducted.
Most importantly the 'clash of civilizations' sentiment which is alienating the Muslim population of the world can be countered by opening wider avenues for dialogues within the D-8 group. The public diplomacy campaigns of the Western Countries, which seek to reach out to the Muslim population of the world, could harness the potential of a forum like the D-8. Indonesia's President Susilo Yudhoyono expressed this sentiment while saying that "The only way we can escape marginalization is to catch up and effectively compete by working more vigorously together among ourselves, with the international institutions and with our developed partners." The D-8 members are keen to employ economic instruments for addressing the mutually damaging clash of civilizations between the Western and Islamic nations.
The Summit has also served as a warning sign for the U.S.'s involvement in pushing for the economic and diplomatic isolation of Iran over the nuclear issue. It is interesting to note that the D-8 steered clear of the raging crisis over Iran's development of nuclear energy. Iran's willingness to act as the D-8 energy supplier could have prompted the move to ignore Iran's current tug-of-war with the IAEA. The success of Iran Khodro to develop a 'people's car', which could be purchased for under $8,000 in cooperation with the D-8 and the OIC further demonstrates the growing economic clout of Iran. Given these developments the U.S. efforts to isolate Iran can prove counter-productive.
The D-8 group carries strategic value due to the nature of its membership. Cooperation among the D-8 members might be highly limited, with intra-group trade accounting for a mere l9% of world trade, but its availability as a forum of Islamic countries is worth exploring. Rather than creating new institutions like the League of Democracies proposed by U.S. Presidential candidate John McCain, exploring inter-institutional linkages with groupings like the D-8 would contribute more substantially towards global peace.
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