In July 2008, leaders of the eight wealthiest countries in the world met in Japan for their annual G8 Summit. The agenda included tough issues like child health, infectious diseases and economic development.

The UNICEF Junior 8 Summit brings together young people from the UK and the other G8 countries to meet with world leaders and discuss how to change our world for the better.

A team of four young people, together called Vision of Hope, from a school in Llandaff, Wales, represented the UK at the J8 Summit 2008.

Read the resulting Chitose Declaration on Climate Change, Poverty and Development and Global Health.

Take a look at this letter from the Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent to each member of the team, congratulating them on winning the competition!

Meet the team and read their winning application.

The topics

The topics to be discussed at this year’s J8 are Climate Change and Global Warming, Global Health and Poverty and Development.

Find out more about the J8 topics: Take a look at some information and resources.

Want to share your views on the J8 topics? Join the debate on the J8 forum.

Shortlisted teams

Vision of Hope were chosen from a shortlist of 7 excellent teams. The other six were:

• Critical Thinkers - Shaaji, Katrina, Roohi and Jack.
• Scarborough Interfaith Society - Isobel, Ben, Danika and Richard.
• Future Vision - Olivia, Poppy, George and Sumukh.
• Kibou - Ellie, Kirsten, Scott and Warren.
• Purple Peace - Amreen, Vivienne, Eva and Christopher.
• Today’s Tomorrow - Alex, Saran, Tiffany and Molly.

Click on the names of the teams to see their excellent applications.

So what is the G8?

The G8 is a group of eight industrialised countries around the world - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The purpose of the G8 is for the leaders of these nations to meet and discuss major economic and political issues affecting their own countries and the international community as a whole.

Every year at the G8 Summit, the leaders meet up to try to reach agreements on what each country can do to achieve these common goals.

• Discuss the issues that matter to you on the J8 forum.
• Visit the J8 Summit website.
• Find out about your right to participate.