Global Economy & Trade

One of the major issues confronting the international community is growing uncertainty in the global economy, impacted by a range of factors including slowdowns in emerging markets, the sharp drop in oil prices and weakening trade. At the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, leaders will aim to deliver a positive message to address challenges to global economic growth and other risks.

Foreign Policy

During its Presidency of the G7, a group of nations that share the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, Japan will take leadership in guiding the world by showing the best path from a global perspective for peace and prosperity at the regional and global level. At the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, leaders will engage in candid discussions on foreign policy issues including counter-terrorism, the Middle East, Ukraine and North Korea.

Climate Change & Energy

The Paris Agreement, a new international framework to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, was adopted at COP 21 last December. At the conference, Prime Minister Abe announced Japan’s commitment to increase its assistance to developing countries to 1.3 trillion yen in 2020. This contribution helped pave the way to reaching the Agreement for a global commitment of $100 billion in climate finance per year. The G7 leaders will discuss how to lead the overall efforts of the international community in addressing climate change at the Ise-Shima Summit, building on the outcome of COP 21.

Given significant changes to the international energy landscape, including low oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty, ensuring energy security remains a pressing issue for the international community. The G7 is expected to play a leading role in the area of energy policy.

Development

The G7 Ise-Shima Summit will be the first Summit since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, at the core of which are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A global partnership involving a range of stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society, will be essential to implementing the 2030 Agenda. The G7 will need to take a proactive leadership role in carrying forward the 2030 Agenda and SDGs. Japan will also hold the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) in Kenya, in August this year, together with the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the African Union Commission (AUC). TICAD will be an opportunity for the international community as a whole to discuss the development of Africa, a process in which Japan aims to secure organic co-operation with the G7.

Quality Infrastructure Investment

There is a global demand-supply gap in infrastructure investment, which reportedly amounts to $1 trillion a year. For infrastructure development, it is imperative to take a mid- to long-term view and a qualitative approach that goes beyond a short-term, quantitative view. Japan has, for many years, promoted quality infrastructure investment, not just in Asia but throughout the world, and last May, Prime Minister Abe announced the Partnership for Quality Infrastructure. At the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, leaders will communicate the importance of quality infrastructure investment that can contribute to sustainable growth, and will discuss possible contributions by the G7.

Health

The Kyushu Okinawa Summit in 2000, where the fight against infectious diseases was the major agenda item, led to the establishment of the Global Fund two years later. In addition, at the Hokkaido-Toyako Summit in 2008, leaders agreed on the importance of comprehensive approaches to strengthen health systems. This agreement included the scaling-up of programs to control infectious diseases, and the improvement of maternal, newborn and child health. At the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, leaders will consider issues including strengthening the response to public health emergencies, by taking into account the lessons learned from previous outbreaks, such as Ebola. In addition, they will discuss ensuring the provision of lifelong healthcare services, from maternal, newborn and child health, through to non-communicable diseases and aging, in the pursuit of universal health coverage (UHC).*

*Universal health coverage (UHC)

The goal of UHC is to ensure that all people have access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship to pay for them.

Women

Japan has been working towards creating a society where all women are actively engaged. As part of this initiative, Japan has been hosting the World Assembly for Women (WAW!) since 2014, inviting a wide range of international leaders to join comprehensive discussions on issues surrounding women. Building on the progress made at the Schloss Elmau Summit in 2015, at the G7 Ise-Shima Summit several issues with a specific relevance to women will be on the agenda. These will include empowering women through education, promoting greater engagement in natural sciences and technology, and accelerating the international momentum for women to take on even greater roles in a wider range of areas.

Source: Official website of the 2016 G7 Ise-Shima Summit

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	Please send comments to: g7@utoronto.ca This page was last updated August 15, 2024.