A sherpa is the personal representative of a head of state or government who prepares an international summit, particularly the annualG7 and G20 summits. Between the G7 summits there are multiple sherpa conferences where possible agreements are laid out. This reduces the amount of time and resources required at the negotiations of the heads of state at the final summit. The name sherpa—without further context—refers to sherpas for the G7 summit, but the designation can be extended to different regular conferences where the participation of the head of state is required. The sherpa is generally quite influential, although they do not have the authority to make a final decision about any given agreement. The name is derived from the Sherpa people, a Nepaleseethnic group, who serve as guides and porters in the Himalayas, a reference to the fact that the sherpa clears the way for a head of state at a major summit.
In the European Union, the name was originally used informally for representatives of the member states. Usually, representatives conduct preparatory work for the ministers. The only decisions with legislative power are made by ministers at the Council of the European Union, which is generally attended by representatives of ministerial rank although they can be replaced by delegates. The position of a chief negotiator can be traced back under varying names to the first days of the European Union process, including the Intergovernmental Conference meetings. The name was enshrined in an official document since 2005 with the designation of a high-profile group on competition regulation in the European chemistry that names officially a "Sherpa-Subgroup".
During the preliminary preparatory process which takes place in advance of a G8 summit, the leader of a G8 host nation conventionally invites representatives from the other G8 participants to send representatives known as "sherpas" to develop the agenda topics and other matters. They often produce communiques which show the current state of negotiations. Apart from conferences of the sherpas of the head of state there are additional conferences held in specific domains that are routinely attended by other state secretaries in the government—most of the G8 countries have national sherpa teams in the field of foreign affairs and finance.
