D8, commonly called Developing-8, is an organization comprising Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey to cooperate on development. On June 15th, 1997, the Istanbul Declaration of the Summit of Heads of State and Government formally formed the D-8. The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation works to strengthen member nations’ positions in the world economy, broaden and open up new trade opportunities, increase involvement in global decision-making, and raise living standards. D-8 is a worldwide rather than a regional organization, as proven by the group's membership.

In this article, let us look at the developing-8 countries, the organization’s background, its objectives, organizational structure, D8 Secretariat, and D8 summits for the UPSC IAS Examination since the topic is important from the context of the International Relations section, which is a part of UPSC mains GS 2 paper and prelims GS paper 1.

Check out the linked article to download the notes on International Relations for the UPSC exams!

D8 देश या विकासशील 8 देश के बारे में हिंदी में भी पढ़ें!

Latest Updates on D8 Countries

• The D8 countries, composed of government representatives from Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Bangladesh, met at a meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in July 2022 to discuss issues about depleting foreign exchange reserves, an escalating energy shortage, and disruptions in supply chains.
• To deal with the uncertainties in their foreign exchange reserves, the delegates talked about alternate trade financings methods such as cross-currency swaps, barter, and blockchain.
• Every member nation witnessed foreign reserve and currency vulnerabilities, disruptions in supply chains, rising prices, and energy and food security threats due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s continuing effects and significant global economic trends. As a result, every member state must adopt preventative measures to prepare for business as usual.

Check out the linked article to download the notes on the Group of 8 – G8 for the UPSC exams!

Background on Developing 8 Countries

Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey are all members of the D-8 organization, sometimes known as Developing-8, which promotes development cooperation. Background on Developing 8 Countries. During a seminar on "Cooperation in Development" conducted in Istanbul in October 1996, Prof. Dr Necmettin Erbakan, the then-prime minister for Turkey, suggested the idea of cooperation among important Muslim emerging nations. From South East Asia to Africa, the organisation envisioned international cooperation. Representatives from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Pakistan attended the Seminar. The Istanbul Declaration, released after the Heads of State and Government summit held in Istanbul on June 15, 1997, marked the official formation of D-8 and the start of its operations.

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Objectives of D8 countries

• The goals of D-8 are to strengthen the standing of developing nations in the global economy, broaden and open up new trade relationships, increase involvement in global decision-making, and improve their living conditions. Finance, banking, regional development, research and technology, humanitarian development, agriculture, energy, the environment, and healthcare are the key areas of engagement.
• The primary goal of D-8 is claimed to be socioeconomic growth in adherence to the below mentioned principles according to the first Summit Declaration (Istanbul, 1997)-
  • Peace as opposed to conflict.
  • Dialogue as opposed to confrontation.
  • Collaboration in place of exploitation.
  • Justice as opposed to unfairness.
  • Equality is as opposed to discrimination.
  • Democracy is opposed to oppression.

Check out the linked article to download the notes on the Group of Fifteen (G15) for the UPSC exams!

Organizational Structure of D8 countries

The principal organs of the D-8 nations are-

• The Summit
• The Council
• The Commission
• The Heads of State/Governments of member states make up the Summit, the highest body of the D-8. It meets once every two years.
• The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member states make up the Council. It serves as a venue for in-depth analysis of the pertinent concerns and is the political decision-making body of D-8.
• The D-8 Commission serves as its executive branch. Senior officials chosen by their corresponding governments make up its membership. Promoting compliance with directives in their respective nations is the duty of each Commissioner.
• Finally, during every summit or lower-level meeting, D-8 members appoint an executive director to enhance communication and serve in a supervisory position.

Significance of D-8 Organisation

The D-8 countries account for 14% of global trade and 1/7 of the world's population (1.1 billion) (700 billion Dollars). The Organization's overall economic output exceeds $4 trillion. The D-8 has a special significance because it contains the top economies in every region of the Islamic world. All of the D-8 members are also OIC members, and in terms of population, commercial potential, and degrees of technological and economic development, they rank among the top nations within the OIC. All developing nations are welcome to join the D-8, which has a global rather than a regional character regarding its principles and the geographic area it covers.

Check out the linked article to download the notes on the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) for the UPSC exams!

D8 Summits

The summit is the sovereign organ of the D-8 organization and is made up of the Heads of state or governments of member states. The D-8 summit is organized in one of the member countries once every two years.

Check out the linked article to download the notes on the International Development Association for the UPSC exams!

Areas of Cooperation

Ten sectors have been chosen by the organization for collaboration and project development. For the purpose of coordinating the D-8 activities, each one of the sectors listed below is assigned to a member nation based on a division of labor.

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Way Forward

• According to the D-8 Decennial Roadmap adopted by D8 for 2020-2030, the Developing-8 nations resolved to strengthen trade cooperation and increase their domestic trade flows to at least 10% of the organization’s total trade in the ten years to come.
• The first phase, which will last for two years, will be devoted to developing and completing initiatives in key sectors of collaboration like commerce, industry, tourism, agricultural and food security, energy, and transportation.
• The phase 2 of the 2023–2027 timeframe will see increased trade cooperation with an emphasis on completing multiple projects in the six priority sectors of collaboration.
• The last phase, which would last from 2028 to 2030, will be a time for assessments and evaluations.

Check out the linked article to download the notes on the List of International Organizations and their Headquarters for the UPSC exams!