CITS senior research associate James Holmes traveled to Moscow last week to take part in the "Civil G8 2006 International Forum for Nongovernmental Organizations," an event hosted by the Russian government in preparation for this week's Group of Eight summit in St.
Petersburg. The Civil G8 Forum brought together some 700 representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) ranging from Greenpeace to Catholic Relief. This marked the first time NGOs have been formally invited to take part in G-8 deliberations. As part of the Working Group on Global Security and Interests of Society, Holmes helped draft recommendations on nonproliferation, fissile-material security, and disarmament. Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the NGOs' recommendations during the second day of meetings. A revised version of the recommendations will go before the G-8 delegates when they arrive in St. Petersburg.

For more information, link to Civil G8: http://en.civilg8.ru/ or to the St. Petersburg Summit: http://en.g8russia.ru/