Accomplishments of the G8 Summit

George Bush, United States
July 8, 2005

Presidential Action

On July 8, 2005, the President, with his G8 partners, brought the Summit to a successful conclusion, with respect for the victims of yesterday's savage attacks and in defiance of the perpetrators. The leaders took significant steps to make the world better and safer and improve human life, in contrast to the terrorists who seek to destroy it.

The President complimented Prime Minister Blair for his leadership in spotlighting the important issues of Africa and climate. The G8 also addressed a wide variety of issues, including: the global economy, energy, oil, trade, intellectual property rights, regional issues, post-tsunami recovery, counter-terrorism, safety, non-proliferation, and reform in the Broader Middle East.

Africa. The G8 re-committed itself to partnering with African nations to achieve their vision of sustainable growth, development and active participation in the world economy. The G8 set out concrete measures that will have a real impact on bettering the lives of African people, advancing several important U.S. priorities.

Debt relief - The President and Prime Minister led the G8 toward full cancellation of the debt of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries.
Humanitarian - Prime Minister Blair and President Bush encouraged the G8 to help fund the urgent needs of millions of Africans affected by famine and conflict.
Fighting Malaria - The G8 heeded the President's call to dramatically reduce malaria as a major killer of children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Climate. The G8 also dealt with the issue of climate change in a constructive way that builds on common ground and, for the first time, included developing nations in climate discussions. Together, the G8 have reached consensus on an approach to climate change that joins together developed and developing countries and acknowledges the inter-related challenges of energy security and development. The Plan of Action, agreed by leaders, contains concrete steps to help:

Transform the way we use energy by improving efficiencies in power generation, transportation, buildings and appliances;
Power a cleaner future by promoting the use of nuclear power, clean coal technologies, clean diesel and methane, renewable energy, bioenergy and more efficient power grids;
Strengthen research and development of hydrogen-powered vehicles that emit only water not fumes.

Peace in the Middle East. G8 leaders recommitted themselves to advancing peace in the Middle East by:

Supporting the work of Quartet Special Envoy for Gaza Disengagement James Wolfensohn regarding the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank;
Stimulating financial contributions over the coming three years to help build the Palestinian economy;
Calling for an absolute end to all acts of violence and terrorism; and
Applauding the people of Lebanon on the recent democratic elections there, pledging support for the new government of Lebanon, and urging the complete withdrawal of all Syrian forces.

Broader Middle East and North Africa Region. The G8 leaders agreed to strengthen the Broader Middle East and North Africa initiative developed last year by:

Working to advance democracy and reform in the Broader Middle East and North Africa region through continued commitment to the initiatives launched at Sea Island last year;
Engaging with regional partners, civil society and other partners to build further momentum and to advance freedom;
Looking to the Forum for the Future in Bahrain this November to continue work together to support the BMENA initiative; and inviting additional interested countries to join in these activities.

Counter-terrorism. The events in London were a tragic reminder of the nature of the enemies that we face in the global war on terror. G8 leaders invited all countries to join them in a sustained commitment to identify and reduce the terrorist threat, promote freedom and security, protect democracy and ensure the rule of law. They committed to:

Working relentlessly to track down terrorists, cut off their funding, impede their planning, disrupt their networks, deny them safe haven and bring them to justice;
Protecting the transportation infrastructure through full implementation of the 28-point Secure and Facilitated International Travel Initiative (SAFTI);
Working together with the UN and other international and regional organizations to strengthen the political will and capacity of countries to counter terrorism.

Nonproliferation. The United States joined today with G8 partners in reaffirming a strong commitment to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly focusing on countering the threat of terrorists acquiring such weapons. The G8 agreed to take forward this important work through:

Committing to restraints on exports of enrichment and reprocessing technology for another year while pursuing stronger constraints on countries with nuclear weapons ambitions.
Helping to achieve full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 on non-proliferation and providing assistance where necessary and feasible.
Supporting the Proliferation Security Initiative and promoting deeper and broader cooperation against proliferation networks, particularly proliferation financing.

Global Economy and Oil. President Bush highlighted the strong outlook for U.S. economic growth, employment, and deficit reduction. The G8 Leaders agreed to take action to address global imbalances and high and volatile oil prices, specifically:

Take action to foster stronger and more widely-shared growth, such as efforts to help increase national saving, and structural reforms in Europe and Japan to boost growth, jobs, and domestic demand;
Encourage oil producing countries to increase production capacity by creating favorable investment climates, developing stable regulatory frameworks, and increasing opportunity for foreign investment;
Work together with other countries to reduce oil market volatility through more comprehensive, transparent, and timely data, including through the Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI).

Trade. President Bush pressed leaders to commit to ambitious trade reforms that lead to increased economic opportunity, the promotion of economic development and the alleviation of poverty. The President emphasized that a successful conclusion to the WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA) would create new market opportunities that could lift millions out of poverty. Through his efforts, G8 leaders approved a G8 Leaders Statement whereby leaders, among other actions:

Pledged to work to further increase momentum towards an ambitious and balanced outcome in the DDA negotiations, our highest common priority in trade policy for the year ahead;
Committed to substantially improving market access, substantially reducing trade-distorting domestic support, and eliminating all forms of export subsidies; and
Committed to improving the participation of developing countries and supporting increased trade, including south-south trade and regional integration which is crucial to catalyzing economic growth and raising incomes in developing countries.

IPR. President Bush secured agreement with leaders on a G8 Leaders Statement urging action against intellectual property rights piracy and counterfeiting. Building on the Bush Administration's initiative to stop trade in pirated and counterfeit goods, the G8 leaders committed G8 countries to, among other actions:

Improve coordination of anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy crime strategies, and ensure closer co-operation among enforcement officials;
Enhance detection and deterrence of the distribution and sale of counterfeit goods through the internet and combat online theft;
Work closely with developing country partners to strengthen legislation, and build and help to improve national anti-counterfeiting, anti-piracy and enforcement capacities through shared best practices, training and technical assistance to help achieve our shared development goals.

Indian Ocean Tsunami. Led by public and private assistance from the United States, latest figures suggest about $9 billion have been contributed to tsunami relief and reconstruction. G8 leaders agreed to support international efforts to:

Building on existing systems, create an all-hazards early warning capacity through UN mechanisms;
Strengthen disaster risk reduction including greater focus and resources; and
Improve coordination and timeliness of humanitarian relief efforts, both bilaterally and through the United Nations.

Source: White House

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