The Regional Leaders Summit

Summit in a nutshell

The Regional Leaders Summit composed of seven regional governments on five continents and stems from the desire to create a network of choice. The meeting, which is held every two years, encourages sharing and cooperation in several key areas.

In 2015, member regions represented over 180 million people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, with a total GDP of nearly 2,827 billion Canadian dollars.

The heads of government represent the following regions:

• Bavaria (Germany)
• Western Cape (South Africa)
• Georgia (United States)
• Upper Austria (Austria)
• Québec
• Sao Paulo (Brazil)
• Shandong (China).The group’s uniqueness and scope are derived from the diversity of the member regions’:
• geographic origins
• history
• culture
• economy

Objectives

The driving spirit of the Summit is firmly focused on cooperation and action aimed at fostering common initiatives, particularly regarding sustainable development. These initiatives contribute to information sharing and the drafting of action plans leading to the adoption of government policies that will reconcile:

• economic development
• social protection
• the sustainable preservation of essential life resources
• promoting cultural diversity for future generations.

The Summit also provide a forum for bilateral talks between heads of government to:

• report on their relations
• strengthen their ties
• discuss issues common to the Partner Regions
• develop an effective network to deal with the many issues that partners face internationally.

The outcome of the discussions and the cooperation projects are then recorded in a joint declaration.