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The Brussels G7 Summit Declaration
European Commission
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MEMO/14/402
05/06/2014
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European Commission
MEMO
Brussels, 5 June 2014
The Brussels G7 Summit Declaration
1. We, the Leaders of Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States,
the President of the European Council and the President of the European
Commission, met in Brussels on 4 and 5 June 2014. This Group came
together because of shared beliefs and shared responsibilities. We are
profoundly committed to the values of freedom and democracy, and their
universality and to fostering peace and security. We believe in open
economies, open societies and open governments, including respect for
human rights and the rule of law, as the basis for lasting growth and
stability. For nearly forty years, we have shown through our actions
that collective will can be a powerful catalyst for progress. Our
efforts to address major global challenges have also been guided by a
commitment to transparency, accountability and partnership with other
concerned members of the international community. We remain bound
together as a group by these values and this vision. Guided by these
shared values and principles, we will continue to work together to meet
the challenges of our times. We thank the European Union for hosting
this Summit and welcome Germany’s Presidency.
Global Economy
2. Supporting growth and jobs
remains our top priority. The global economy has strengthened since we
met at Lough Erne, downside risks remain which will need to be managed
carefully. Advanced economies are recovering, but continued and
sustained growth is needed to bring down unemployment, particularly
among young people and the long-term unemployed.
3. We will take further steps to
support strong, sustainable and balanced growth, with a common goal of
increasing the resilience of our economies. We will present ambitious
and comprehensive growth strategies at the G20 Summit in Brisbane, to
include action across a broad front including in the areas of
investment, small and medium enterprises, employment and participation
of women, and trade and innovation, in addition to macroeconomic
policies. We will continue to implement our fiscal strategies flexibly
to take into account near-term economic conditions, so as to support
economic growth and job creation, while putting debt as a share of GDP
on a sustainable path.
4. We agreed that 2014 will be the
year in which we focus on substantially completing key aspects of the
core financial reforms that we undertook in response to the global
financial crisis: building resilient financial institutions; ending
too-big-to-fail; addressing shadow banking risks; and making derivatives
markets safer. We remain committed to the agreed G20 roadmap for work
on relevant shadow banking activities with clear deadlines and actions
to progress rapidly towards strengthened and comprehensive oversight and
regulation appropriate to the systemic risks posed. We will remain
vigilant in the face of global risk and vulnerabilities. And we remain
committed to tackling tax avoidance including through the
G20/Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Base
Erosion and Profit Shifting Action Plan as set out in the agreed
timetable, and tax evasion, where we look forward to the rapid
implementation of the new single global standard for automatic exchange
of tax information. We call on all jurisdictions to take similar action.
5. Trade and investment are key
engines for jobs and growth. We reaffirm our commitment to keep our
markets open and to fight all forms of protectionism including through
standstill and rollback. We are committed to strengthening the
rules-based multilateral trading system. We will protect and promote
investment and maintain a level playing field for all investors.
International standards for public export finance are crucial for
avoiding or reducing distortions in global trade. Since we met at Lough
Erne, we have made substantial progress on major trade negotiations:
Canada-EU; Japan-EU; Canada- Japan; EU-US; the Trans-Pacific
Partnership; and the Trade in Services Agreement. We aim to finalise
them as soon as possible. We are committed to liberalising trade in
environmental goods and services, including through an Environmental
Goods agreement. We will work to conclude an expanded Information
Technology Agreement as soon as possible. These agreements and
initiatives can help support and will be consistent with the
multilateral trading system and act as building blocks for future
multilateral deals. We welcome the successful outcomes of the 9th World
Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference. We will prioritise full
and swift implementation of the Bali Package, in particular the Trade
Facilitation Agreement. We will continue to provide, within our current
Aid for Trade commitments, substantial support and capacity building to
help implement this agreement, in particular to the benefit of the Least
Developed Countries. We fully support efforts in the WTO to secure
swift agreement to a balanced work programme for completing the Doha
Round.
Energy
6. The use of energy supplies as
a means of political coercion or as a threat to security is
unacceptable. The crisis in Ukraine makes plain that energy security
must be at the centre of our collective agenda and requires a step
change to our approach to diversifying energy supplies and modernising
our energy infrastructure. Under the Rome G7 Energy Initiative, we will
identify and implement concrete domestic policies by each of our
governments separately and together, to build a more competitive,
diversified, resilient and low-carbon energy system. This work will be
based on the core principles agreed by our Ministers of Energy on May
5-6 2014, in Rome:
7. Based on these principles we will take the following immediate actions:
8. We will also:
9. We ask our Energy Ministers to take forward this Rome G7 Energy Initiative and report back to us in 2015.
Climate Change
10. Urgent and concrete action
is needed to address climate change, as set out in the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report. We therefore remain
committed to low-carbon economies with a view to doing our part to limit
effectively the increase in global temperature below 2°C above
pre-industrial levels. We affirm our strong determination to adopt in
2015 a global agreement – a new protocol, another legal instrument or an
agreed outcome with legal force under the convention applicable to all
parties - that is ambitious, inclusive and reflects changing global
circumstances. We will communicate our intended nationally determined
contributions well in advance of the 21st session of the Conference of
the Parties (COP21) in Paris (by the first quarter of 2015 by those
Parties ready to do so) and call on others to follow our lead. We
welcome the Climate Summit of the United Nations Secretary General in
September and his invitation to all Parties to prepare for ambitious
contributions and to deliver concrete action to reduce emissions and
strengthen resilience. We look forward to a successful Summit.
11. We reaffirm our support for the
Copenhagen Accord commitments to mobilise USD 100 billion per year by
2020 from a wide variety of sources, both public and private, to address
the climate mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries in
the context of their meaningful and transparent mitigation actions. We
welcome the adoption of the Green Climate Fund’s operating rules and the
decision to commence its initial resource mobilisation in the coming
months. We remain committed to the elimination of inefficient fossil
fuel subsidies and continued discussions in the OECD on how export
credits can contribute to our common goal to address climate change. We
will strengthen efforts to improve measurement, reporting, verification
and accounting of emissions and improve the reporting of international
climate finance flows, consistent with agreed decisions of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We will work together
and with others to phase down the production and consumption of
hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) under the Montreal Protocol. We will also
continue to take action to promote the rapid deployment of
climate-friendly and safe alternatives in motor vehicle air-conditioning
and we will promote public procurement of climate-friendly HFC
alternatives.
Development
12. The pursuit of sustainable
and inclusive development and greater prosperity in all countries
remains a foundational commitment that unites our people and our
countries. We continue to implement the commitments we have made at
previous Summits. To be accountable we will provide a report in 2015 on
progress toward their attainment.
13. We commit to work with all
partners to agree an ambitious and universal post-2015 agenda, anchored
in a single set of clear and measurable goals. That agenda should
complete unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals. It
should be centred on people and focused both on the eradication of
extreme poverty, promoting development and on balancing the
environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainable
development, including climate change. It should also promote peace and
security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality and
human rights for all. We are committed to build a global partnership
with shared responsibility and mutual accountability to ensure its
implementation. We await the synthesis report of the United Nations
Secretary General in the second half of 2014. We welcome the African
Union’s common position.
14. We will continue to promote
inclusive and resilient growth in Africa, working with governments and
citizens in Africa to enhance governance and transparency, improve
infrastructure, notably in the energy sector, eliminate trade barriers,
facilitate trade and investment, and strengthen the responsible and
sustainable management of natural resources and the revenues they
generate. We welcome the active role of the African Union and the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development in the process of reforming the
Africa Partnership Forum.
15. Security and development are
the prerequisite of a lasting peace in regions affected by the scourge
of war, terrorism, organized crime, corruption, instability and poverty,
notably the Sahel region, Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan and Central
African Republic. We welcome efforts by African partners and the African
Union, supported by the international community, aimed at building
their capacities to respond to crises and support stabilisation.
16. We confirm our strong
commitment to the Deauville Partnership and our support to Arab
countries in transition in their efforts to improve governance and
stimulate inclusive growth and job creation, particularly for their
youth and women. Our Foreign and Finance Ministers will meet in the
margins of United Nations General Assembly, and the International
Monetary Fund/World Bank Annual Meetings, to take forward the
Partnership.
17. We remain committed to work
towards common global standards that raise extractives transparency,
which ensure disclosure of companies’ payments to all governments. We
welcome the progress made among G7 members to implement quickly such
standards. These global standards should continue to move towards
project-level reporting. Those governments that are signing up to the
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative standard will voluntarily
report their revenues. We confirm our commitment to implement fully the
extractive partnerships launched in 2013.
18. We today announce a new
initiative on Strengthening Assistance for Complex Contract Negotiations
(CONNEX) to provide developing country partners with extended and
concrete expertise for negotiating complex commercial contracts,
focusing initially on the extractives sector, and working with existing
fora and facilities to avoid duplication, to be launched in New York in
June and to deliver improvements by our next meeting, including as a
first step a central resource hub that brings together information and
guidance.
19. We will continue to work to
tackle tax evasion and illicit flows of finance, including by supporting
developing countries to strengthen their tax base and help create
stable and sustainable states. We renew our commitment to deny safe
haven to the proceeds of corruption, and to the recovery and return of
stolen assets. We remain committed to prevent the misuse of companies
and other legal arrangements such as trusts to hide financial flows
stemming from corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, and other
crimes, ensuring that beneficial ownership information is available in a
timely fashion to financial intelligence units, tax collection and law
enforcement agencies, for example through central registries or other
appropriate mechanisms, leading by example in implementing the Financial
Action Task Force and other relevant international standards and our
national action plans in line with the principles we agreed at Lough
Erne. Greater transparency in this area will help developing countries.
20. Recent events illustrate
that corruption undermines trust in governments and limits economic
growth. We will build on existing efforts, including in the G20, to take
additional steps to prevent this. We continue our engagement to and
support of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Bank's
Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative. We welcome the outcomes of the
Ukraine Forum on Asset Recovery and look forward to the third Arab Forum
on Asset Recovery. The G7 remains committed to working with governments
and global financial centres to follow up on asset recovery efforts.
21. We remain committed to the
Muskoka Initiative on maternal, newborn and child health, and welcome
the call made at the Saving Every Woman, Every Child Summit in Toronto
to accelerate progress on this global priority. In addition we are
committed to ensuring sexual and reproductive health and reproductive
rights, and ending child, early and forced marriage and female genital
mutilation and other harmful practices. The health and well-being of
women and children are improved through ensuring universal access to
affordable, quality, essential health services, strengthening health,
education and child protection systems and improving nutrition and
access to immunisation. We recognise the impact of the GAVI Alliance
(Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) and welcome its efforts
to expand access to vaccines to an additional 300 million children
during 2016-2020. We welcome Germany’s offer to host the second
replenishment in early 2015, reaffirm our commitment, and call on other
public and private donors to contribute to the replenishment of the GAVI
Alliance. We reaffirm our commitment to an AIDS free generation and to
the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to reduce the
burden of these three major infectious diseases on eligible countries
and regions.
22. To address the threat posed by
infectious diseases, we support the Global Health Security Agenda and
commit to working with partner countries to strengthen compliance with
the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Health Regulations
and enhance health security around the world. We commit to working
across sectors to prevent, detect and respond to infectious diseases,
whether naturally occurring, accidental, or the result of a deliberate
act by a state or non-state actor. That includes building global
capacity so that we are better prepared for threats such as the recent
Ebola outbreak in West Africa and working together, in close cooperation
with WHO, to develop a Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance.
23. We continue to strongly
support comprehensive approaches to achieve global food security and
nutrition. We look forward to the second International Conference on
Nutrition in November 2014 and the Expo Milan 2015, which will provide a
platform for the global post-2015 debate on sustainability and food and
nutrition security. We continue to support the New Alliance for Food
Security and Nutrition under strong African leadership and the
successful completion of principles for responsible agricultural
investment by the Committee on World Food Security. These will better
enable smallholder farmers, especially women, to benefit from
sustainable rural development. We continue to support the consistent
implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of
Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests, including by building on the land
partnerships we launched in 2013 and the Global Agriculture and Food
Security Programme.
Ukraine
24. We welcome the successful
conduct under difficult circumstances of the election in Ukraine on 25
May. The strong voter turnout underlined the determination of Ukraine’s
citizens to determine the future of their country. We welcome Petro
Poroshenko as the President-elect of Ukraine and commend him for
reaching out to all the people of Ukraine.
25. In the face of unacceptable
interference in Ukraine’s sovereign affairs by the Russian Federation,
we stand by the Ukrainian government and people. We call upon the
illegal armed groups to disarm. We encourage the Ukrainian authorities
to maintain a measured approach in pursuing operations to restore law
and order. We fully support the substantial contribution made by the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to the
de-escalation of the crisis through the Special Monitoring Mission and
other OSCE instruments. We commend the willingness of the Ukrainian
authorities to continue the national dialogue in an inclusive manner. We
welcome the "Memorandum of Peace and Unity" adopted by the Verkhovna
Rada on 20 May and express the wish that it can be implemented rapidly.
We also encourage the Ukrainian parliament and the Government of Ukraine
to continue to pursue constitutional reform in order to provide a
framework for deepening and strengthening democracy and accommodating
the rights and aspirations of all people in all regions of Ukraine.
26. The G7 are committed to continuing
to work with Ukraine to support its economic development, sovereignty
and territorial integrity. We encourage the fulfilment of Ukraine's
commitment to pursue the difficult reforms that will be crucial to
support economic stability and unlock private sector-led growth. We
welcome the decision of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to approve
a $17 billion programme for Ukraine, which will anchor other bilateral
and multilateral assistance and loans, including around $18 billion
foreseen to date from G7 partners. We welcome the swift disbursement of
macro-economic support for Ukraine. We support an international donor
coordination mechanism to ensure effective delivery of economic
assistance and we welcome the EU’s intention to hold a high-level
coordination meeting in Brussels. We welcome ongoing efforts to
diversify Ukraine's sources of gas, including through recent steps in
the EU towards enabling reverse gas flow capacities and look forward to
the successful conclusion of the talks, facilitated by the European
Commission, on gas transit and supply from the Russian Federation to
Ukraine.
27. We are united in condemning
the Russian Federation’s continuing violation of the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea,
and actions to de-stabilise eastern Ukraine are unacceptable and must
stop. These actions violate fundamental principles of international law
and should be a concern for all nations. We urge the Russian Federation
to recognise the results of the election, complete the withdrawal of its
military forces on the border with Ukraine, stop the flow of weapons
and militants across the border and to exercise its influence among
armed separatists to lay down their weapons and renounce violence. We
call on the Russian Federation to meet the commitments it made in the
Geneva Joint Statement and cooperate with the government of Ukraine as
it implements its plans for promoting peace, unity and reform.
28. We confirm the decision by
G7 countries to impose sanctions on individuals and entities who have
actively supported or implemented the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty
and territorial integrity and who are threatening the peace, security
and stability of Ukraine. We are implementing a strict policy of
non-recognition with respect to Crimea/Sevastopol, in line with UN
General Assembly Resolution 68/262. We stand ready to intensify targeted
sanctions and to implement significant additional restrictive measures
to impose further costs on Russia should events so require.
29. The projects funded by the
donor community to convert the Chernobyl site into a stable and
environmentally safe condition have reached an advanced stage of
completion. While recognizing the complexity of these first of a kind
projects, we call upon all concerned parties to make an additional
effort to bring them to a satisfactory conclusion and call upon project
parties to keep costs under control. This remains a high priority for
us.
Syria
30. We strongly condemn the
Assad regime’s brutality which drives a conflict that has killed more
than 160,000 people and left 9.3 million in need of humanitarian
assistance. We denounce the 3 June sham presidential election: there is
no future for Assad in Syria. We again endorse the Geneva Communiqué,
which calls for a transitional governing body exercising full executive
powers and agreed by mutual consent, based on a vision for a united,
inclusive and democratic Syria. We strongly condemn the violations of
international humanitarian law and human rights and indiscriminate
artillery shelling and aerial bombardment by the Syrian regime. There is
evidence that extremist groups have also perpetrated grave human rights
abuses. All those responsible for such abuses must be held to account.
We welcome the commitment of the National Coalition and Free Syrian Army
to uphold international law. We deplore Russia and China’s decision to
veto the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution draft authorising
referral to the International Criminal Court and demanding
accountability for the serious and ongoing crimes committed in Syria.
31. We are committed to
supporting the neighbouring countries bearing the burden of Syrian
refugee inflows and deplore the failure to implement UNSC Resolution
2139 on humanitarian assistance. We urge all parties to the conflict to
allow access to aid for all those in need, by the most direct routes,
including across borders and conflict lines, and support further urgent
action by the UNSC to that end. In our funding we decide to give
particular support to humanitarian actors that can reach those most in
need, including across borders. We call for the international community
to meet the enormous funding needs of the UN appeals for Syria and its
neighbours. We resolve to intensify our efforts to address the threat
arising from foreign fighters travelling to Syria. We are deeply
concerned by allegations of repeated chemical agent use and call on all
parties in Syria to cooperate fully with the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) fact-finding mission. We call on
Syria to comply with its obligations under UNSC Resolution 2118,
decisions of the Executive Council of the OPCW and the Chemical Weapons
Convention to ensure the swift removal of its remaining chemical
stockpile for destruction, and to destroy its production facilities
immediately and answer all questions regarding its declaration to the
OPCW.
Libya
32. We reaffirm our support for a
free, prosperous and democratic Libya which will play its role in
promoting regional stability. We express serious concern at the recent
violence and urge all Libyans to engage with the political process
through peaceful and inclusive means, underpinned by respect for the
rule of law. We urge continued and coordinated engagement by the
international community to support the Libyan transition and efforts to
promote political dialogue, in coordination with the UN and with the UN
Support Mission in Libya fulfilling its mandate in that respect. We ask
all in the international community to respect fully Libyan’s sovereignty
and the principle of non-intervention in its affairs. In this
framework, we commend the proposal of the High National Electoral
Commission, endorsed by the General National Congress, to convene the
elections on June 25. We emphasise the importance of these elections in
restarting the political process and appreciate the vital work of the
Constitution Drafting Assembly. Mali and Central African Republic
33. We welcome the ceasefire signed on
May 23 by the Malian Government and armed groups in the North of Mali,
thanks to efforts by the African Union, through its Presidency, and the
UN. We reaffirm our strong commitment to a political solution and to an
inclusive dialogue process that must start without delay, as prescribed
by the Ouagadougou agreement and UNSC decisions. We fully support the
United Nation’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in
Mali efforts in stabilising the country and, with the commitment of
neighbouring countries, including Algeria, Mauritania and the Economic
Community of West African States, in working for a durable settlement
respectful of the unity, territorial integrity and national sovereignty
of Mali.
34. We commend the role played
on the ground in the Central African Republic by the AU-led
International Support Mission to the Central African Republic, together
with the forces sent by France and the European Union, to support the
transition and encourage the Transitional Authorities to take urgent
concrete steps toward holding free, fair, transparent and inclusive
elections. We fully support the UN efforts in the areas of security,
reconciliation, preparation of the elections, and humanitarian
assistance.
Iran
35. We reaffirm our strong
commitment to a diplomatic resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue and
welcome the efforts by the E3+3, led by High Representative Ashton, and
Iran to negotiate a comprehensive solution that provides confidence in
the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme. We
underline the importance of the continuing effective implementation by
the E3+3 and Iran of the Joint Plan of Action. We call on Iran to
cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency on
verification of Iran's nuclear activities and to resolve all outstanding
issues, including, critically, those relating to possible military
dimensions. We strongly urge Iran to fully respect its human rights
obligations. We call on Iran to play a more constructive role in
supporting regional security, in particular in Syria, and to reject all
acts of terrorism and terrorist groups. North Korea
36. We strongly condemn North
Korea's continued development of its nuclear and ballistic missile
programmes. We urge North Korea to abandon all nuclear weapons and
existing nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and to comply fully
with its obligations under relevant UNSC resolutions and commitments
under the September 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks. We call
on the international community to implement fully UN sanctions. We
reiterate our grave concerns over the ongoing systematic, widespread and
gross human rights violations in North Korea documented in the report
of the UN Commission of Inquiry, and urge North Korea to take immediate
steps to address these violations, including on the abductions issue,
and cooperate fully with all relevant UN bodies. We continue to work to
advance accountability for North Korea's serious human rights
violations.
Middle East Peace Process
37. We fully support the United
States’ efforts to secure a negotiated two-state solution. We regret
that greater progress has not been made by the parties and urge them to
find the common ground and political strength needed to resume the
process. A negotiated two-state solution remains the only way to resolve
the conflict. We call on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and
to avoid any unilateral action which may further undermine peace efforts
and affect the viability of a two-state solution.
Afghanistan
38. We renew our long-term
commitment to a democratic, sovereign, and unified Afghanistan and our
enduring partnership with the Government of Afghanistan based on the
principles of mutual respect and mutual accountability. The first round
of presidential elections and the provincial council elections marked a
historic achievement, especially for the more than 2.5 million women who
voted, and we look forward to the completion of the electoral process.
We continue to assist the Government of Afghanistan to strengthen their
institutions of governance, reduce corruption, combat terrorism, support
economic growth, and counter narcotics. We continue to actively support
an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of reconciliation.
Maritime Navigation and Aviation
39. We reaffirm the importance
of maintaining a maritime order based upon the universally agreed
principles of international law. We remain committed to international
cooperation to combat piracy and other maritime crime, consistent with
international law and internationally recognised principles of
jurisdiction in international waters. We are deeply concerned by
tensions in the East and South China Sea. We oppose any unilateral
attempt by any party to assert its territorial or maritime claims
through the use of intimidation, coercion or force. We call on all
parties to clarify and pursue their territorial and maritime claims in
accordance with international law. We support the rights of claimants to
seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international
law, including through legal dispute settlement mechanisms. We also
support confidence building measures. We underscore the importance of
the freedom of navigation and overflight and also the effective
management of civil air traffic based on international law and
International Civil Aviation Organization standards and practices.
Other issues
40. We reaffirm our commitment
to the protection and promotion of all human rights and fundamental
freedoms, including religious freedom, for all persons. We recognise the
need to show unprecedented resolve to promote gender equality, to end
all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, to end
child, early and forced marriage and to promote full participation and
empowerment of all women and girls. We look forward to the Global Summit
to End Sexual Violence in Conflict taking place in London later this
month.
41. We reiterate our
condemnation of terrorism and our commitment to cooperate in all
relevant fora to prevent and respond to terrorism effectively, and in a
comprehensive manner, while respecting human rights and the rule of law.
We condemn the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls by Boko Haram as
an unconscionable crime and intend do everything possible to support the
Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes and to
bring the perpetrators to justice.
42. We confirm that
non-proliferation/disarmament issues remain a top priority and welcome
the G7 Non-proliferation Directors Group statement issued today.
Conclusion
43. We look forward to meeting under the Presidency of Germany in 2015.
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