Prior to the G8 Summit in St Petersburg, Russia, from 15th to 17th July, a Civil G8 NGO Forum was held in Moscow from 3rd to 4th July. This year is the first time for Russia to chair the G8 Summit, and it showed strong support to the NGOs and civil society.

Around 700 NGOs were represented, with 300 from overseas. This is the first time a G8 Summit host nation has financially assisted international NGO representatives to attend since civil society was first documented officially in the communique at the G8 summit in Halifax, Canada in 1995.

Ella Pamfilova as Chairperson for the Council for the Development of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights coordinated the Civil G8 meeting.