science

Group of 15

Group of 15 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Group of 15 rather than just read about it. In short: The Group of 15 (G-15) is an informal forum set up to foster cooperation and provide input for other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Group of Seven. It was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1989, and is composed of countries from Latin America, Africa, and Asia with a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperit…

Key takeaways

Group of 15 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Group of 15 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Group of 15 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Group of 15 (G-15) is an informal forum set up to foster cooperation and provide input for other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Group of Seven. It was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1989, and is composed of countries from Latin America, Africa, and Asia with a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperity. The G-15 focuses on cooperation among developing countries in the areas of investment, trade, and technology. Chile, Iran and Kenya have since joined the Group of 15, whereas Yugoslavia is no longer part of the group, and Peru, a founding member-state, decided to leave the G-15 in 2011. Membership thus has since expanded to 17 countries, but the forum's name remains unchanged.

Structure and activities Some of the objectives of the G-15 are:

To harness the considerable potential for greater and mutually beneficial cooperation among developing countries To conduct a regular review of the impact of the world situation and of the state of international economic relations on developing countries To serve as a forum for regular consultations among developing countries with a view to coordinate policies and actions To identify and implement new and concrete schemes for South-South cooperation and mobilize wider support for them To pursue a more positive and productive North-South dialogue and to find new ways of dealing with problems in a cooperative, constructive and mutually supportive manner. By design, the G-15 has avoided establishing an administrative structure like those for international organizations, such as the United Nations or the World Bank; but the G-15 does have a Technical Support Facility (TSF) located in Geneva. The TSF functions under the direction of the Chairman for the current year. The TSF provides necessary support for the activities of the G-15 and for its objectives. Other organs and functions of the G-15 include:

Summit of heads of state and government: The G-15's summit is organized biennially, with the venue being rotated among the three developing regions of the G-15 membership. Annual meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs: G-15 Ministers of Foreign Affairs typically meet once a year to coordinate group activities and to prepare for the nest summit of G-15 leaders. Steering committee (Troika): A steering committee, or Troika, is composed of three foreign ministers, one from the preceding summit host country, the present host country and the anticipated next host countries. These three are responsible for oversight and coordination. Personal representatives of heads of state and government: Each member country is represented by personal representatives of heads of state and government who meet regularly in Geneva. In addition, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services (FCCIS) is a private sector forum of G-15 member countries. The purpose of the FCCIS is to coordinate and maximize efforts which promote business, economic development and joint investment in G-15 nations. In 2010, the chairmanship of the G-15 was accepted by Sri Lanka at the conclusion of the 14th G-15 summit in Tehran.

Member countries and organizations World Bank (2023)

G-15 Summits

See also Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP)

References

Further reading Haas, P.M. (1992). "Introduction. Epistemic communities and international policy coordination", International Organization 46,1:1-35. ISSN 0020-8183, E-ISSN 1531-5088 Bob Reinalda and Bertjan Verbeek. (1998). Autonomous Policy Making by International Organizations London: Routledge. ISBN 9780415164863; ISBN 978-0-203-45085-7; OCLC 39013643

External links

G-15 official website IMF

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Group of 15

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Group of 15 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Group of 15 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Group of 15 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Group of 15

In research: Group of 15 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Group of 15 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Group of 15 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 20th-century diplomatic conferences, 21st-century diplomatic conferences, Economic country classifications, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Group of 15 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Group of 15 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Group of 15 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Group of 15 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Group of 15 in simple terms?

Why does Group of 15 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Group of 15?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Group of 15.