
Two of Canada's most experienced former diplomats believe the G8 is still a powerful tool, and Canada's involvement gives the nation a level of global credibility it wouldn't have otherwise.
The Group of Eight industrialized, democratic nations has faced recent criticism that it is irrelevant, ineffective and outdated.
That's simply not the case, said Paul Heinbecker, of the Centre for International Governance Innovation and a former Canadian ambassador to Germany.
"One of the things people need to understand is that while there has been a lot of cynicism about this G8...in fact it's been a pretty effective...