On 3 June, the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, and the Minister of Social Affairs of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Erwin Sellering, will open the Summit.
For one week 74 young people from the G8 states and from ten emerging economies and developing countries will meet and discuss. The topics on their agenda mirror those to be tackled by the heads of state and government in Heiligendamm.
J8 is the brainchild of UNICEF and the Morgan Stanley International Foundation, implemented with the support of the G8 Presidency. The conference serves as an international forum at which the young people can share ideas. The Summit is intended to make heard the voices of the children and young people from G8 states, when the most powerful men and women in the world meet. It also encourages young people to take an interest in politics.
On 7 June eight young people will be discussing the outcomes and recommendations of the J8 Summit directly with the heads of state and government. This group will include one German teenager.
On 1 June the eight German participants at the J8 Summit met with Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. On 5 June all 74 young participants will meet Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
Broad support for the J8
The Chair of UNICEF Germany, Heide Simonis, Dagmar Kollmann, Chair of the Morgan Stanley Bank Germany and Rosemarie Wielcken, Mayor of Wismar will attend the opening ceremony on 3 June.
The J8 Summit has also been given generously support by the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the City of Wismar.