G7 Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué

Dec 11, 2023

Preamble

We are taking concrete steps to:

as outlined in the reference documents of this Communique.We are determined to work together and with others to:

2. We will champion international principles and shared values by:

3. We will work with our international partners to achieve a world that is human-centered, inclusive and resilient, leaving no one behind. In that spirit, we welcomed the participation of the Leaders of Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, and Vietnam.

Ukraine

4. We once again condemn in the strongest possible terms the war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, which constitutes a serious violation of international law, including the UN Charter. Russia's brutal war of aggression represents a threat to the whole world in breach of fundamental norms, rules and principles of the international community. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes to bring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. We issued the G7 Leaders’ Statement on Ukraine, and with the clear intention and concrete actions set forth in it, we commit to intensifying our diplomatic, financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, to increasing the costs to Russia and those supporting its war efforts, and to continuing to counter the negative impacts of the war on the rest of the world, particularly on the most vulnerable people.

Disarmament and Non-proliferation

5. Together with the G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament, we express our commitment to achieving a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all, through taking a realistic, pragmatic, and responsible approach. We reaffirm the importance of disarmament and non-proliferation efforts to create a more stable and safer world. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and the foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We remain committed to the universalization, effective implementation, and strengthening of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, as well as the Chemical Weapons Convention. We welcome the steps taken to strengthen effective and responsible export controls on materials, technology, and research that could be used for military purposes in a way that keeps pace with rapid technological developments and recognize the central role of multilateral export control regimes in this regard.

Indo-Pacific

6. We reiterate the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, prosperous, secure, based on the rule of law, and that protects shared principles including sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, and fundamental freedoms and human rights. Given the importance of the region, G7 members and our partners have taken respective Indo-Pacific initiatives to help strengthen our engagement. We underscore our commitment to strengthen coordination with regional partners, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member states. We reaffirm our unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity and our commitment to promoting cooperation in line with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We also reaffirm our partnership with Pacific Island countries and reiterate the importance of supporting their priorities and needs in accordance with the Pacific Islands Forum's 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. We welcome and further encourage efforts made by the private sector, universities and think tanks, which contribute to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Global Economy, Finance and Sustainable Development

7. The global economy has shown resilience against multiple shocks including the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, and associated inflationary pressures. Nevertheless, we need to remain vigilant and stay agile and flexible in our macroeconomic policy amid heightened uncertainty about the global economic outlook. In striving for strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, we are committed to a stability- and growth-oriented macroeconomic policy mix that supports medium-term fiscal sustainability and price stability. Inflation remains elevated and central banks remain strongly committed to achieving price stability, in line with their respective mandates. Meanwhile, fiscal policy should continue to provide, as appropriate, temporary and targeted support to vulnerable groups suffering from the increase in cost of living and catalyze investment needed for the green and digital transformations while the overall fiscal stance should ensure medium-term sustainability. We also reaffirm our existing G7 exchange rate commitments. We reemphasize the importance of supply-side reforms, especially those that increase labor supply and enhance productivity. We also stress the crucial role of women and under-represented groups for the long-term success of our economies through promoting inclusion, diversity and innovation. We look forward to a successful review of the G20/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Principles of Corporate Governance to strengthen sustainability and resilience of the private sector. Recognizing that our economic and social structures have undergone dynamic and fundamental transformation, we underscore the multidimensional aspects of welfare and that these aspects should be brought into policymaking in a practical and effective manner. Such efforts will help preserve confidence in democracy and a market-based economy, which are the core values of the G7.

8. We will continue to closely monitor financial sector developments and stand ready to take appropriate actions to maintain financial stability and the resilience of the global financial system. We reaffirm that our financial system is resilient, supported by the financial regulatory reforms implemented after the 2008 global financial crisis. We strongly support the work of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and standard-setting bodies on enhancing the resilience of non-bank financial intermediation. We will continue policy deliberation on digital money to harness the benefits of innovation such as payment efficiency as well as financial inclusion while addressing potential risks to the stability, resilience and integrity of the monetary and financial system. Effective monitoring, regulation and oversight are critical to addressing financial stability and integrity risks posed by crypto-asset activities and markets and to avoid regulatory arbitrage, while supporting responsible innovation.

9. We re-emphasize our strong political commitment towards the swift global implementation of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework Two-Pillar Solution to address the tax challenges arising from globalization and the digitalization of the economy and to establish a more stable and fairer international tax system. We recognize significant progress in the negotiation of the Pillar 1 Multilateral Convention (MLC) and reaffirm our commitment to the swift completion of the negotiation so that the MLC can be ready for signature within the agreed timeline. We welcome the progresses in domestic legislation toward the implementation of Pillar 2. We will further provide developing countries with support for strengthening their tax capacity to build sustainable tax revenue sources, highlighting the importance of assistance for the implementation of the Two-Pillar Solution.

10. We recognize that achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030, reducing poverty, responding to global challenges including the climate crisis, and addressing debt vulnerabilities in low and middle-income countries are urgent, interrelated and mutually reinforcing. We are determined to do our part to mobilize the private and public resources needed to meet these challenges and support a just transition. Recognizing the importance of providing and protecting global public goods, we will support efforts to embed building resilience, sustainability and inclusiveness as integral elements in MDBs’ efforts to reduce poverty and promote shared prosperity. We will strive to enhance the development finance toolkit to mobilize additional financing from international financial institutions, bilateral partners, and the private sector to more effectively reduce poverty by better addressing vulnerabilities including climate change.　We will work together and with partners to deliver this ambition and make concrete progress on this agenda at key moments over the coming year starting with the Summit organized in Paris on June 22-23 to revitalize global development financing, and continuing the momentum through the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the SDG Summit in New York, the 2023 World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Marrakech, the G20 Compact with Africa Conference in Berlin, and the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC-COP 28) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

11, We are determined to take on a leading role in reversing the setback of progress towards the SDGs. Recognizing that 2023 is the halfway point to achieve the SDGs, we highlight the importance of the SDG Summit in September and will ambitiously contribute to a successful outcome. We reaffirm our commitment to revitalizing international cooperation and strengthen multilateralism. We will accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), and will do so in a comprehensive and gender-transformative manner including through locally-led development. We will also promote the concept of human security in the new era aiming to realize a society that leaves no one behind. We stress the critical role of development cooperation and international partnerships in addressing global challenges and the need to engage with international partners in solidarity. We also call for further domestic resource mobilization and efficient use of existing resources as well as mobilizing private financial assets to address financing gaps for sustainable development. We underscore the need for continued efforts to scale up official development assistance (ODA) and expand its catalytic use including through innovative financing mechanisms, recognizing the importance of respective commitments, such as the 0.7% ODA/GNI target that some countries adopted.

12. We remain concerned that serious challenges to debt sustainability are undermining the progress towards the SDGs and low-and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and wider global challenges. We reiterate the urgency of addressing debt vulnerabilities in these countries and fully support the G20's effort to improve the implementation of the Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) in a predictable, timely, orderly and coordinated manner, providing clarity to participants. We welcome the recent approval by the IMF board of a program for Ghana. Beyond the Common Framework, debt vulnerabilities in middle income countries (MICs) should be addressed by multilateral coordination. In this respect, we welcome the launch of the creditors’ meeting for Sri Lanka under the three co-chairs, France, India, and Japan, and look forward to a swift resolution as a successful model for future multilateral efforts to address MICs’ debt issues. We also stress the importance of private creditors providing debt treatments on terms at least as favorable to ensure fair burden sharing in line with the comparability of treatment principle. We welcome the development of Climate Resilient Debt Clauses (CRDC) to enhance the safety net for borrowers facing the impacts of climate change. We welcome work by our finance ministers on this topic and encourage more creditors to offer CRDC for loan agreements. In order to enhance debt data accuracy and transparency, we invite all official bilateral creditors to join the data sharing exercise for debt data reconciliation, including through further advancing the G20's initiative in the area of debt data accuracy.

13. We encourage MDBs and Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) to accelerate their efforts to increase their capacity to leverage private finance, including through implementing MDB reforms. In this regard, we strongly support and encourage to expedite the ongoing work on the evolution of the MDBs to review and transform their business models to better address transboundary challenges such as climate change, pandemics, fragility and conflict, which are integral to achieving poverty reduction and shared prosperity. This evolution should come with the most efficient use of their existing capital. To this end, we will contribute to developing an ambitious G20 Roadmap on implementing the recommendations of the G20 MDB Capital Adequacy Framework Review and call on MDBs to make further progress in a comprehensive manner while safeguarding MDBs’ long-term financial sustainability, robust credit ratings and preferred creditor status. Building on key reforms to the WBG's mission and operational model along with financial reforms that can add up to $50 billion of financing capacity over the coming decade, we look forward to further progress at the WBG toward the 2023 WBG and IMF Annual Meetings and beyond so that ambitious reforms can be made on a continual basis. We encourage other MDBs to join this initiative for a coordinated approach of MDBs as a system. We also call on MDBs to make the best use of policy and knowledge support, and explore strengthened approaches to promote mobilizing domestic resources and private capital as well as private sector engagement. We have further advanced our joint efforts to support countries most in need through the voluntary channeling of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) or equivalent contributions. We welcome that additional pledges by Japan and France, amongst others, together with our previous contributions and commitments, put the global ambition of $100 billion within reach and call for the delivery of existing pledges and for further pledges from all willing and able countries to fulfill the ambition. We support the IMF achieving its agreed 2021 fundraising targets by the 2023 WBG and IMF Annual Meetings and identifying all available options to put the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) which supports Low Income Countries (LICs), on a sustainable footing with a view to meeting the growing needs of LICs in the coming years. We will further explore viable options for enabling the voluntary channeling of SDRs through MDBs, while respecting national legal frameworks and the need to preserve the reserve assets character and status of SDRs.

14. We stress the importance of narrowing the infrastructure investment gap in low and middle income partner countries, including by delivering financing for quality infrastructure, supporting efforts to advance policy reforms needed to attract investment, operationalizing country-led partnerships, and promoting upstream support including project preparation support. We reaffirm our shared commitment to the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and to working together and aiming to mobilize up to $600 billion by 2027.We will continue strengthening global partnerships for public and private investments in sustainable, inclusive, resilient and quality infrastructure with partner countries. We will mobilize the private sector for accelerated action to this end. Our offer is fair and transparent and aims at accelerating global sustainable development with the focus on delivering impact at local level. We welcome the Factsheet on PGII that demonstrates how the G7 and partners have made concrete progress in fostering investments that will create lasting positive impacts and promote sustainable development. We reiterate our support to the G20 Compact with Africa as a key framework to enhance the business environment in Africa and call on reform-oriented partners to join and strengthen this initiative.

15. We shared our determination to promote transparent and fair development finance and work together to address the gap in implementing existing principles such as debt transparency and sustainability, fair appraisal, selection, and lending practices for quality infrastructure investment. In this regard, we call on all actors to adhere to international rules, standards and principles, including the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment, the G20 Operational Guidelines for Sustainable Financing, the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. These rules, standards and principles also include measures to safeguard the integrity of infrastructure investments.　

16. We note the importance of addressing development, humanitarian, peace and security issues together. We are determined to address the unprecedented number of humanitarian crises, focusing on women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. In this regard, we commit to providing over $21 billion in total to address the worsening humanitarian crises this year, including in response to urgent food crises. Bearing in mind that many countries are vulnerable to disasters, including Small Island Developing States, we will accelerate international disaster risk reduction cooperation in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the output of its midterm review conducted by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). We emphasize the importance of a disaster preparedness approach and investment in human capital, goods and infrastructure that contribute not only to "risk transfer" but also to "risk reduction," resulting in the strengthening of anticipatory actions. We remain committed to holding ourselves accountable, in an open and transparent way, for the promises we have made. In this regard, we endorse the 2023 Hiroshima Progress Report, following up on the G7's development-related commitments on food security and nutrition as well as refugees and migration.

17. We emphasize the transformative power of cities worldwide as drivers for every aspect of sustainable development. We will continue our cooperation on sustainable urban development and task our relevant Ministers to consider the development of principles on carbon neutral, resilient and inclusive cities and on the digitalization in cities, and to accelerate the use of data and technologies for cities. This work will support exchanges with our global partners, whose cities face some of the most significant challenges relating to climate change.

Climate Change

18. Our planet is facing unprecedented challenges from the triple global crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution as well as from the ongoing global energy crisis. We are steadfast in our commitment to the Paris agreement, keeping a limit of 1.5°C global temperature rise within reach through scaled up action in this critical decade, halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, and ensuring energy security, whilst leveraging synergies and recognizing the interdependent nature of these challenges. While Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine impacts energy markets and supply chains globally, our goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 at the latest remains unchanged. We emphasize our strong concern, amplified by the latest finding of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), at the accelerating and intensifying impacts of climate change, and highlight the increased urgency to reduce global GHG emissions by around 43 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035, relative to the 2019 level, in light of its latest findings. We reiterate our commitment made in Elmau last year to rapidly implement domestic mitigation measures aimed at achieving our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets and to increase our ambition including, for example, by adopting or strengthening sectoral targets, by developing non-CO2 sub targets, and by adopting stringent implementation measures. Mindful of our leadership role, and noting that emissions have already peaked in all G7 countries, we recognize the critical role of all major economies in limiting increases in global temperature over this critical decade and in subsequent decades. In this context, we underscore that every major economy should have significantly enhanced the ambition of its NDC since the Paris Agreement; already peaked its GHG emissions or indicated that it will do so no later than 2025; and in particular, included economy-wide absolute reduction targets and that cover all GHGs in its NDC. Accordingly, we call on all Parties – especially major economies – whose 2030 NDC targets or long-term low GHG emission development Strategies (LTSs) are not yet aligned with a 1.5°C pathway and net zero by 2050 at the latest, to revisit and strengthen the 2030 NDC targets and publish or update their LTSs as soon as possible and well before UNFCCC-COP28, and to commit to net zero by 2050 at the latest. Furthermore, we call on all Parties to commit at UNFCCC-COP28 to peak global GHG emissions immediately and by no later than 2025. We reaffirm our commitment to the Global Methane Pledge and we will step up efforts to collectively reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions by at least 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030. We commit to actively contributing to securing the most ambitious outcomes of the first global stocktake (GST) at UNFCCC-COP28, which should result in enhanced, immediate and ambitious actions across mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation and support. We call on all Parties to submit their next round of NDCs and LTSs well ahead of UNFCCC-COP30 that are informed by the outcomes of the GST, reflecting economy-wide absolute reduction targets including all GHGs, sectors and categories. These should reflect significantly enhanced ambition aligned with a 1.5°C pathway and should also include their revisited and strengthened 2030 targets.

19. Noting the importance of increasing the pace and scale of action on climate change, biodiversity loss and clean energy transitions, we will globally advance and promote a green transformation, working together to realize transformation of our economies to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 at the latest. We will engage with developing and emerging countries to accelerate emission reduction, including by supporting their transitions to climate resilient, circular, and nature positive economies and net-zero GHG emissions through various and practical pathways taking into account national circumstances. To that end, we reaffirm our strong commitment to supporting developing countries’ just energy transitions, which will be supported by coordinated actions, including through the PGII. We welcome progress achieved on JETPs with South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam, and also continue our discussions with India and Senegal. We take note of initiatives that are intended to support clean energy transition in countries around the world, such as Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative, the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), 2050 Pathways Platform, Net Zero World (NZW), and the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge and underscore the importance of actions taken through such initiatives being aligned with a 1.5°C pathway. We will take further action on supply-side measures and recognize the need for further decarbonization efforts on the demand-side such as promoting changes in infrastructure and material use and end-use technology adoption as well as promoting sustainable consumer choice. We also recognize the vital role of sub-national governments in collaboration with other stakeholders and partners to advance climate and energy actions based on local needs and environmental conditions. We reaffirm the important role of high integrity carbon markets and carbon pricing to foster cost-efficient reductions in emission levels, drive innovation and enable a transformation to net zero, through the optimal use of a range of policy levers to price carbon. We support appropriate policy mixes including carbon pricing, non-pricing mechanisms, and incentives that effectively reduce emissions, and note that these could vary reflecting country-specific circumstances. We strongly support the OECD Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches (IFCMA). We look forward to advancing the open, cooperative, and inclusive Climate Club, in collaboration with international partners, to advance industrial decarbonization. We encourage private entities to commit to GHG net-zero emissions throughout the value chain via credible net zero pledges and transparent implementation strategies. We also encourage and promote private entities’ work to foster innovation contributing to the emission reduction of other entities through decarbonization solutions. We welcome the progress of the Industrial Decarbonization Agenda (IDA) that decided to start working on implementation of the new Global Data Collection Framework for steel production and product emissions. We reaffirm our commitment to a highly decarbonized road sector by 2030, and recognize the importance of reducing GHG emissions from the global fleet and the range of pathways to approach this goal in line with trajectories required for keeping a limit of 1.5°C within reach. We are committed to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions in the road sector by 2050. In this context, we highlight the various actions that each of us is taking to decarbonize our vehicle fleet, including such domestic policies that are designed to achieve 100 percent or the overwhelming penetration of sales of light duty vehicles (LDVs) as zero emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035 and beyond; to achieve 100 percent electrified vehicles in new passenger car sales by 2035; to promote associated infrastructure and sustainable carbon-neutral fuels including sustainable bio- and synthetic fuels. We note the opportunities that these policies offer to contribute to a highly decarbonized road sector, including progressing towards a share of over 50 percent of zero emission LDVs sold globally by 2030. Considering the findings of the International Energy Agency (IEA)‘s Energy Technology Perspective 2023, we also note the opportunity to collectively reduce by at least 50 percent CO2 emissions from G7 vehicle stock by 2035 or earlier relative to the level in 2000 as a halfway point to achieving net zero and to track the progress on a yearly basis. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen global efforts to achieve GHG lifecycle zero emissions from international shipping by 2050 at the latest. We commit to support this target and introducing intermediate targets for 2030 and 2040 for the revised International Maritime Organization (IMO) GHG reduction strategy, in line with efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels through a credible basket of measures. We commit to accelerate global efforts to achieve the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s goal of net-zero emissions in international aviation by 2050, including making an effort for promoting and introducing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), introducing new technologies and improving operations, also building on ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

20. In the face of the increasing threats posed by climate change, supporting climate-vulnerable groups is essential for ensuring human security and achieving resilient and sustainable development. We will continue to scale up and enhance support to strengthen the resilience of climate-vulnerable groups through enhancing climate change adaptation and climate disaster risk reduction, response and recovery and early-warning systems including through the Global Shield against Climate Risks and other initiatives related to early warning systems and the adoption of climate-resilient debt clauses. We reaffirm our commitments to the developed country Parties’ goal of jointly mobilizing $100 billion annually in climate finance by 2020 through to 2025 in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation. We will work together with other developed country Parties in order to fully meet the goal in 2023. We welcome discussions on an ambitious and fit-for-purpose new collective quantified goal (NCQG) which contributes as a global effort, from a wide variety of sources, public and private, to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement, including making finance flows consistent with a pathway toward low GHG emissions and climate resilient development. Recognizing the critical role of the G7 and that developed country parties should take the lead in mobilizing climate finance, we underscore the need for all countries and stakeholders, who have the capabilities and are not yet among the current providers of international climate finance, to contribute to global efforts in this regard.

21. We are committed to accelerating our own efforts to making financial flows consistent with a pathway toward low GHG emissions and climate resilient development, in line with Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement. We stress the importance of mobilizing finance especially including private finance focusing on further implementation and development of clean technologies and activities. We underline our commitment to consistent, comparable and reliable disclosure of information on sustainability including climate. We support the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) finalizing the standards for general reporting on sustainability and for climate-related disclosures and working toward achieving globally interoperable sustainability disclosure frameworks. We also look forward to the ISSB's future work on disclosure on biodiversity and human capital, in line with its work plan consultation. We remain committed to supporting the implementation and monitoring of the G20 Sustainable Finance Roadmap. We highlight the need for corporates to implement their net-zero transitions in line with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement based on credible corporate climate transition plans. We also highlight that transition finance, in line with keeping a limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach, avoiding carbon lock-ins and based on effective emissions reduction, has a significant role in advancing the decarbonization of the economy as a whole. We look forward to an ambitious and successful second replenishment for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and reaffirm the need for robust G7 pledges. We urge other countries to do the same and underscore the need to broaden the GCF's contributor base by encouraging all potential contributors. We continue to accelerate efforts to respond to the Glasgow Climate Pact that urges developed countries to at least double their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing countries from the 2019 level by 2025, in the context of achieving a balance between mitigation and adaptation in the provision of scaled-up financial resources. We also urge MDBs to commit to ambitious adaptation finance targets, announcing revised and enhanced 2025 projections, and call on non-G7 countries to enhance provision and mobilization including private finance for adaptation. We stress the key role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in mobilizing finance and call on them to mainstream climate and environment issues in their policies, investments, operations and governance. We also urge MDBs to increase finance for global public goods including climate finance and support ambitious regulatory reforms in developing countries via policy-based finance in order to foster the transition to net zero and enable private sector investment. Furthermore, in order to promote the development of carbon markets while ensuring their environmental integrity, we endorse the "Principles of High Integrity Carbon Markets" to facilitate their implementation in carbon credit markets. We emphasize our extreme concern at the scale of impacts that are already resulting in economic and non-economic loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change and being felt globally, particularly by the most vulnerable. Alarmed by the adverse effects of climate change globally, we will scale up action and support to avert, minimize and address loss and damage, especially for the most vulnerable countries. This will include implementing the UNFCCC-COP27/The 4th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA4) decision to establish new funding arrangements, including a fund, for developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, in the context of article 8 of the Paris Agreement, and providing support identified in the "G7 Inventory on Climate Disaster Risk Reduction, Response and Recovery".

Environment

22. We commit to realizing the transformation of the economic and social system towards net-zero, circular, climate-resilient, pollution-free and nature-positive economies and to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, in an integrated manner, while ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development and enhancing the resilience of our economies. Highlighting that enhancing resource efficiency and circularity along value chains reduces primary resource use and contributes to achieving our climate and other environmental goals, we encourage stakeholders and in particular businesses to strengthen their action. Thus, we endorse the Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Principles (CEREP). We will increase domestic and international environmentally-sound, sustainable and efficient recovery and recycling of critical minerals and raw materials and other applicable materials while increasing circularity along the supply chains. We reaffirm that management and governance of water-related ecosystems are essential for all life on earth. We are actively engaging in relevant international fora including following up on the UN Water Conference successfully held this year.

23. Building on the G7 Ocean Deal, we commit to act towards realizing clean, healthy and productive oceans. We reaffirm our commitment to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and will take further actions to address this phenomenon in all its dimensions, including supporting developing countries and strengthening policy coordination among our relevant agencies and task them to take stock of their progress on this issue by the end of this year. In particular, we encourage non-parties to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) to join for further global acceptance and effective implementation of the PSMA. We welcome the conclusion of the negotiations for an international legally binding instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) and call for its rapid entry into force and implementation. We will continue to actively engage in the development of a regulatory framework on deep seabed mineral exploitation under the International Seabed Authority (ISA) that ensures effective protection for the marine environment from harmful effects which may arise from such activities, as required under the UNCLOS. We are committed to end plastic pollution, with the ambition to reduce additional plastic pollution to zero by 2040. With this in mind, we are determined to continue and step up our actions based on the comprehensive life cycle approach. We support the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, look forward to the next round of negotiation in Paris with a view to completing its work with an international legally binding instrument covering the whole life cycle of plastics by the end of 2024 and call for ambitious outcomes. We will make as much progress as possible on these issues and on the broader agenda of ocean protection by the UN Ocean Conference in 2025.

24.We welcome the adoption of the historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, which is fundamental to human well-being, a healthy planet and economic prosperity, and commit to its swift and full implementation and to achievement of each of its goals and targets. In this regard, G7 members that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) commit to revise, update and submit our National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) aligned with the GBF and its goals and targets, or to communicate national targets reflecting as applicable all the goals and targets of the GBF in 2023 or sufficiently in advance of CBD-COP16. We will identify incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity by 2025, and redirect or eliminate them while scaling up positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by 2030 at the latest, taking initial steps without delay. We call on all signatories to swiftly implement their commitments under the GBF and stand ready to provide support to developing countries. We reiterate our commitment to substantially increase our national and international funding for nature by 2025. We will ensure that our international development assistance aligns with the GBF. We call on the MDBs to increase support for biodiversity including through leveraging financial resources from all sources and deploying a full suite of instruments. To implement the GBF, we commit to substantially and progressively increasing the level of financial resources from all sources, and to align all relevant fiscal and financial flows with the GBF and call on others to do the same. We commit to supporting the establishment of the GBF Fund within the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and its successful launch at the GEF Assembly in Vancouver in August 2023, noting the importance of financial contributions from all sources to capitalize the new fund. We reaffirm our commitment to enhance synergies between finance for climate and biodiversity, including increased funding for Nature-based Solutions. We also commit to supporting and advancing a transition to nature positive economies, including through sharing knowledge and creating information networks among the G7 such as the G7 Alliance on Nature Positive Economy. We call on businesses to progressively reduce negative and increase positive impacts on biodiversity. We look forward to the publication of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures’ (TNFD's) market framework and urge market participants, governments and regulators to support its development. We stress our commitment to achieving the target of effectively conserving and managing at least 30 percent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and at least 30 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2030 (30 by 30), nationally and globally, according to national circumstances and approaches through promoting the designation and management of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). We commit to conserving and protecting global marine biological diversity and sustainably using its resources based on the best available scientific evidence. In this context, we reconfirm our commitment under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to adopt, as a matter of urgency, proposals to designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Eastern Antarctica, the Weddell Sea and the Western Antarctic Peninsula, based on the best available scientific evidence. In this regard, we will support other countries by sharing best practices for protected areas and OECMs to achieve the GBF target of 30 by 30. We will enhance international cooperation on measures against invasive alien species. We reiterate our commitment to halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030, and are committed to conserving forests and other terrestrial ecosystems and accelerating their restoration, supporting sustainable value and supply chains as well as promoting sustainable forest management and use of wood. We will work together, with high ambition to deliver integrated solutions to support the protection, conservation and restoration of high-carbon, high-biodiversity ecosystems, including by coordinating our offers through Country Packages on Forests, Nature and Climate, especially in countries which host vital reserves of carbon and biodiversity, with an initial focus on forests. We commit to continuing our efforts to reduce risk of deforestation and forest and land degradation linked to the production of relevant commodities and enhance cooperation with various stakeholders on this issue. We will, if appropriate, develop further regulatory frameworks or policies to support this.

Energy

25. We commit to holistically addressing energy security, the climate crisis, and geopolitical risks. In order to address the current energy crisis caused by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and achieve our common goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, we highlight the real and urgent need and opportunity to accelerate clean energy transitions also as a means of increasing energy security at the same time. While acknowledging various pathways according to each country's energy situation, industrial and social structures and geographical conditions, we highlight that these should lead to our common goal of net zero by 2050 at the latest in order to keep a limit of 1.5 °C within reach. In this regard, we invite the IEA to make recommendations by the end of this year on options how to diversify the supplies of energy and critical minerals as well as clean energy manufacturing. Through this, together with our partners, we seek to holistically address energy security, climate crisis, and geopolitical risk including the expansion of global use of renewable energy in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest and keep a limit of 1.5 °C temperature rise within reach. Through our experience in coping with past and current energy crises, we highlight the importance of enhanced energy efficiency and savings as the "first fuel," and of developing demand side energy policies. We also need to significantly accelerate the deployment of renewable energies and the development and deployment of next-generation technologies. The G7 contributes to expanding renewable energy globally and bringing down costs by strengthening capacity including through a collective increase in offshore wind capacity of 150GW by 2030 based on each country's existing targets and a collective increase of solar PV to more than 1TW by 2030 estimated by the IEA and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) through means such as each country's existing targets or policy measures. We recognize that low-carbon and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives such as ammonia should be developed and used, if this can be aligned with a 1.5 °C pathway, where they are impactful as effective emission reduction tools to advance decarbonization across sectors and industries, notably in hard-to-abate sectors in industry and transportation, while avoiding N2O as a GHG and NOx as air pollutant. We also note that some countries are exploring the use of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives in the power sector to work towards zero-emission thermal power generation if this can be aligned with a 1.5°C pathway and our collective goal for a fully or predominantly decarbonized power sector by 2035. We will enhance our efforts to develop the rule-based, transparent global market and supply chains for low carbon and renewable hydrogen based on reliable international standards and certification schemes adhering to environmental and social standards. We affirm the importance of developing international standards and certification including for a GHG calculation methodology for hydrogen production and mutual recognition mechanism for carbon intensity-based tradability, transparency, trustworthiness and sustainability. We reaffirm our commitment to achieving a fully or predominantly decarbonized power sector by 2035, and prioritizing concrete and timely steps towards the goal of accelerating the phase-out of domestic unabated coal power generation in a manner consistent with keeping a limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach and urge others to join us. We will work towards ending the construction of new unabated coal fired power generation as identified in the IEA's Coal in Net Zero Transitions report in 2022 as one of the primary actions to be taken in line with the IEA net zero by 2050 scenario. We call on and will work with other countries to end new unabated coal-fired power generation projects globally as soon as possible to accelerate the clean energy transition in a just manner. We highlight that we ended new direct government support for unabated international thermal coal power generation in 2021. We call on other countries, especially major economies to join us in fulfilling their commitments to do the same. We acknowledge that Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)/carbon recycling technologies can be an important part of a broad portfolio of decarbonization solutions to reduce emissions from industrial sources that cannot be avoided otherwise and that the deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) processes with robust social and environmental safeguard, have an essential role to play in counterbalancing residual emissions from sectors that are unlikely to achieve full decarbonization.

26. We underline our commitment, in the context of a global effort, to accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels so as to achieve net zero in energy systems by 2050 at the latest in line with the trajectories required to limit global average temperatures to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels, and call on others to join us in taking the same action. We reaffirm our commitment to the elimination of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 or sooner, and reaffirm our previous calls for all countries to do so. In view of the emerging need for net-zero and circular industrial supply chains in the transformation towards a 1.5°C pathway, we recognize the opportunities associated with decarbonized, sustainably and responsibly produced non-combustion feedstocks, and are committed to supporting our workers and communities in this transformation. We also highlight that we ended new direct public support for the international unabated fossil-fuel energy sector in 2022, except in limited circumstances clearly defined by each country consistent with a 1.5 °C warming limit and the goals of the Paris Agreement, recognizing the importance of national security and geostrategic interests. It is necessary to accelerate the phase out of our dependency on Russian energy, including through energy savings and gas demand reduction, in a manner consistent with our Paris commitments, and address the global impact of Russia's war on energy supplies, gas prices and inflation, and people's lives, recognizing the primary need to accelerate the clean energy transition. In this context, we stress the important role that increased deliveries of LNG can play, and acknowledge that investment in the sector can be appropriate in response to the current crisis and to address potential gas market shortfalls provoked by the crisis. In the exceptional circumstance of accelerating the phase out of our dependency on Russian energy, publicly supported investment in the gas sector can be appropriate as a temporary response, subject to clearly defined national circumstances, if implemented in a manner consistent with our climate objectives without creating lock-in effects, for example by ensuring that projects are integrated into national strategies for the development of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen. We will further utilize neutral and impartial statistical data made available by international organizations such as the IEA and strengthen their data-collection and analysis functions, with a view to stabilizing energy markets. We emphasize the importance of strengthening forums for communication and cooperation between producing and consuming countries with a view to stabilizing energy markets and mobilizing necessary investment consistent with climate goals. Those G7 countries that opt to use nuclear energy recognize its potential to provide affordable low-carbon energy that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, to address the climate crisis and to ensure global energy security as a source of baseload energy and grid flexibility. They commit to maximizing the use of existing reactors safely, securely, and efficiently, including by advancing their safe long-term operation, in addressing the current energy crisis. They also commit, domestically as well as in partner countries, to supporting the development and construction of nuclear reactors, such as small modular and other advanced reactors with advanced safety systems, building robust and resilient nuclear supply chains including nuclear fuel, and maintaining and strengthening nuclear technology and human resources. They will work with like-minded partners to reduce dependence on Russia. The G7 underlines that the highest standards of nuclear safety and security are important to all countries and their respective publics. We welcome the steady progress of decommissioning work at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO)'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, and Japan's transparent efforts with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) based on scientific evidence. We support the IAEA's independent review to ensure that the discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water will be conducted consistent with IAEA safety standards and international law and that it will not cause any harm to humans and the environment, which is essential for the decommissioning of the site and the reconstruction of Fukushima.

Clean Energy Economy

27. Emphasizing that the global climate and energy crisis highlights the urgent need to accelerate the clean energy transition towards achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050 and to transform our energy systems, we underline the necessity of economic diversification and transformation, including in supply chains. In order to further promote clean energy transitions on a global scale, we are determined to increase our efforts and, in particular, will pursue secure, resilient, affordable, and sustainable clean energy supply chains, including those for critical minerals and clean energy technologies. In implementing energy transitions, we also reaffirm the importance of working collectively to avoid market distortions and ensuring a global level playing field. We will continue to work with international partners to realize a clean energy economy through concrete actions as laid out in the Clean Energy Economy Action Plan.

Economic Resilience and Economic Security

28. Ensuring economic resilience and economic security globally remains our best protection against the weaponization of economic vulnerabilities. Recalling our commitment from the 2022 G7 Elmau Summit, we will advance economic policies that enhance global economic resilience and economic security to protect against systemic vulnerabilities. To this end, we will engage in dialogue and follow a cooperative approach within the G7 as well as with partners beyond the G7 and globally, including in collaboration with developing countries. In so doing, we will promote international rules and norms in order to facilitate trade and promote economic resilience, based on the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core. Our efforts will include taking action to make our supply chains and those of our partners around the world more resilient, sustainable and reliable, as well as appropriate measures to promote prosperity for all. We will also promote trust and security in critical infrastructure. We will enhance ongoing collaboration to address non-market policies and practices that exacerbate strategic dependencies and systemic vulnerabilities, harm our workers and businesses, and can undermine international rules and norms. Building on our resolve in Elmau to increase vigilanceand enhance our cooperation to address risks that undermine global security and stability, we will enhance collaboration by launching the Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion to increase our collective assessment, preparedness, deterrence and response to economic coercion, and further promote cooperation with partners beyond the G7. We will deepen our strategic dialogue against malicious practices to protect global supply chains from illegitimate influence, espionage, illicit knowledge leakage, and sabotage in the digital sphere. We affirm our shared responsibility and determination to coordinate on preventing the cutting-edge technologies we develop from being used to further military capabilities that threaten international peace and security. In this context, we hereby adopt the G7 Leaders’ Statement on Economic Resilience and Economic Security.

29. We reaffirm the growing importance of critical minerals in various fields, especially for the global clean energy transition, and the need to manage economic and security risks caused by vulnerable supply chains. We support open, fair, transparent, secure, diverse, sustainable, traceable, rules- and market-based trade in critical minerals, oppose market-distorting practices and monopolistic policies on critical minerals, and reaffirm the need to build resilient, robust, responsible, and transparent critical mineral supply chains. We are committed to strengthening our preparedness and resilience against emergencies such as market disruptions, and considering ways to jointly address any such disruptions, including through the support of the IEA's "Voluntary Critical Mineral Security Program." We welcome joint progress in efforts to diversify supply chains, including the refining and processing of critical minerals, such as the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). We will support local value creation in critical minerals supply chains in line with the WTO rules. We will promote domestic and international recycling of critical minerals in collaboration with developing countries. We affirm that strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards will ensure benefits to local communities, including people living in the vicinity of areas with mineral reserves and refining and processing plants, protect workers’ rights, and promote transparency, while giving due consideration to upstream and midstream environments. In order to further promote the clean energy transition we reiterate the need to establish sustainable an resilient supply chains for critical mineral resources and products manufactured using such resources. We welcome the "Five-Point Plan for Critical Mineral Security" adopted by G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers and instruct them to implement the plan.

Trade

30. We stand united in our commitment to free and fair trade as foundational principles and objectives of the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, which proves more important than ever in the current geopolitical environment. We confirm that honoring these foundational principles is essential to creating resilient global supply chains that are transparent, diversified, secure, sustainable, trustworthy, and reliable, and that are fair for all and responsive to the needs of global citizens. We affirm our attachment to transparency, coordination and to the respect of WTO rules in our respective policies. This global trading system must be inclusive and ensure that the prosperity it can bring is felt by all, including those that have been traditionally underrepresented. To this end, we will continue to work with non-G7 partners, in particular developing country partners, which are integral partners in supply chains and in the global trading system. Based on the outcome of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) and looking ahead to achieving a successful MC13, we underscore the importance of working towards WTO reform, including by conducting discussions with the view to having a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all Members by 2024 and by reinforcing deliberation to respond to global trade policy challenges. In addition, we call on all WTO members to work together to secure the prompt entry into force of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, to engage constructively on recommendations for additional provisions that would achieve a comprehensive agreement on fisheries subsidies, and the plurilateral initiatives including the joint statement initiatives (JSIs), and to make permanent the Moratorium on Customs Duties on Electronic Transmissions. We are committed to accelerating the WTO JSI E-Commerce negotiations and working to conclude an ambitious outcome by the end of 2023. The outcome should be high standard and commercially meaningful. Free and fair trade flows, consistent with our commitment to our multilateral trading system, play an important role in the green and just transition. We will continue our collaboration at the WTO including to facilitate and promote trade in environmental goods and services, and technologies. We reaffirm our shared concerns with non-market policies and practices, including their problematic evolution, that distort global competition, trade and investment. We will further step up our efforts to secure a level playing field through the more effective use of existing tools, as well as development of appropriate new tools and stronger international rules and norms. We will seek to ensure that our responses to unfair trading practices will not create unnecessary barriers to our partners’ industries and are consistent with our WTO commitments. We reaffirm that export controls are a fundamental policy tool to address the challenges posed by the diversion of technology critical to military applications as well as for other activities that threaten global, regional, and national security. We affirm the importance of cooperation on export controls on critical and emerging technologies such as microelectronics and cyber surveillance systems to address the misuse of such technologies by malicious actors and inappropriate transfers of such technologies through research activities. We task our Trade Ministers to deepen these discussions towards the G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in October, and to explore, both within and beyond the G7, coordinated or joint actions where appropriate against trade-related challenges, including economic coercion.

Food Security

31. We remain deeply concerned with the ongoing and worsening global food security and nutrition situation, with the world facing highest risk of famine in a generation. Multiple factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring energy prices, the climate crisis and shocks, biodiversity loss, land degradation, water security and armed conflicts have contributed to the global disruption and disorder in food systems and supply chains and the deterioration in global food security in recent years. In particular, Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has drastically aggravated the global food security crisis. We are committed to continuing our efforts to address pressing issues to improve global food security including through initiatives already launched by the G7 and relevant international organizations, building on the positive outcomes achieved. Stressing that we have exceeded our joint commitment of $14 billion to the global food security announced at the 2022 G7 Elmau Summit, we will continue to provide assistance in the food and nutrition related sectors to vulnerable countries and regions affected by the current food security crisis, in particular in Africa and the Middle East. Given the scale of the needs across the Horn of Africa, we have collectively met our commitment from Elmau and have effectively delivered assistance to tackle one of the worst droughts in the region's history.　We also call on other international donors to step up their contributions in this regard. We further call on Russia to lift its measures that hinder the exports of Russian grain and fertilizers.　Given Ukraine's essential role as a major exporter of food to the world, we are seriously concerned about the current and future impact of Russia's deliberate disruption of Ukraine's agricultural sector on food security in the most vulnerable countries. Building on our commitment made at Elmau, we continue to provide support for the restoration of Ukraine's agriculture sector, including support to its efforts in identifying and evidencing illegal seizure of Ukrainian grains by Russia, through the creation of a grain database which can be used to verify the origin of grain shipments. We reaffirm the importance of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes and President Zelenskyy's Grain from Ukraine Initiative. We reiterate the critical importance of continued and scaled-up implementation of the UN and Türkiye-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) in order to further facilitate grain exports from Ukraine and enable stable supply to those in need. We call on Russia to stop threatening global food supplies and to allow the BSGI to operate at its maximum potential and for as long as necessary. We reiterate the importance of ensuring rules-based, open, fair, transparent, predictable, and non-discriminatory trade and avoiding unjustified restrictive trade measures to keep the food and agricultural markets open and call on our G20 partners to do the same. We welcome the Ministerial Decision on World Food Programme (WFP) Food Purchases Exemption from Export Prohibitions or Restrictions adopted at the MC12 and call for its full implementation. We call for more concrete actions to address export restrictions imposed by agricultural producer countries on global food security, recognizing that such measures have a disproportionate effect on countries at greater risk of famine and acute food insecurity. We emphasize the necessity of market transparency and accurate information backed by neutral and impartial data and analysis to prevent arbitrary measures and reduce market volatility in addressing ongoing and future food crises, and commit to strengthening the G20 Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) as well as various efforts by international organizations in this regard. We underscore the importance of strengthening the capacity of low and lower-middle income countries to collect, analyze and use high quality agricultural, market and food security data and maintain the quality of data. We also recognize the value of dialogue between food exporting countries and importing countries to develop a shared understanding on crisis responses.

32. We share the view that it is essential to focus on each human and enable stable access to affordable, safe, sufficient and nutritious food for each and every individual. In our pursuit to ensure that all people can progressively realize their right to adequate food, we affirm the need to protect and assist members of the most vulnerable populations, including women and children, in all aspects of food security from short-term food crisis responses through medium to long-term efforts to make food systems sustainable. Nutrition is also fundamental from the viewpoint of a human centered approach, and we highlight the importance of improving access to healthy diets, including through school meal programs. We recognize the urgent need of establishing inclusive, resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems including through enhancing, diversifying and ensuring sustainability of local, regional and global food supply chains as well as through solving structural bottlenecks. This includes increasing local production capacities by making use of existing domestic agricultural resources and by facilitating trade, sustainable productivity growth with climate adaptation and mitigation and biodiversity conservation, and sustainable food consumption. We promote a wide range of innovations and technology which is suitable for local, environmental and farming conditions and benefits all stakeholders including smallholder farmers. We also underscore the role of the private sector, including small and medium enterprises and startups, in research and development (R&D) as well as responsible investment. We recognize the need to maintain the availability, affordability and accessibility of fertilizers, to diversify the production to reduce the impact of supply chain disruptions, and to promote more efficient and responsible use of fertilizers and soil health, including through the use of appropriate and safe fertilizers, for stable and sustainable agricultural production. We acknowledge the importance of supporting fertilizer value chains including local fertilizer production in line with WTO rules and through supporting the use of local sources of energy in consistency with a 1.5°C warming limit and the goals of the Paris Agreement. We strengthen broader partnerships on those efforts including through the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moments. We commit to taking concrete steps with partner countries as outlined in the annexed "Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security", and call for broader cooperation in the international community.

Health

33. We renew our strong commitment to developing and strengthening the global health architecture (GHA) with the World Health Organization (WHO) at its core for future public health emergencies to break the cycle of panic and neglect, recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has made an unprecedented impact on the international community. To this end, we commit to further enhancing political momentum toward more coordinated and sustained leader-level governance for health emergency prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) that ensures legitimacy, representation, equity, and effectiveness, noting the ongoing discussions including on a new instrument on pandemic PPR (WHO CA+), targeted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), and the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on pandemic PPR in September 2023 and the need to avoid duplication and ensure coherence between these processes, stressing the leading role of WHO. We also applaud the landmark decision at the 75th WHA to work towards increasing the share of assessed contributions to 50 percent of WHO's 2022-2023 base budget, and which takes into account the importance of monitoring of budgetary proposals as well as progress on reforms, with a view to sustainably finance the organisation to fulfil its leading and coordinating role in global health. We also reaffirm our commitment to strengthening collaboration between Finance and Health Ministries for pandemic PPR including through the ongoing and essential work of the G20 Joint Finance and Health Task Force (JFHTF). We welcome the launch of the Pandemic Fund (PF), look forward to the successful execution of its first call for proposals, and encourage active participation and increasing contributions to the PF from a broader donor base. We also commit to working together, including by sharing work plans and tracking, encouraging efforts and progress in priority countries to achieve the G7's target of supporting at least 100 Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) in implementing the core capacities required in the IHR, for another 5 years until 2027 as committed in 2022. We also highlight the need for strengthening financing for pandemic response. To this end, we commit to thoroughly assess how existing financing sources can be used in pandemic response and to explore a surge financing framework that allows us to complement existing mechanisms through better coordination and deploy necessary funds quickly and efficiently in response to outbreaks without accumulating idle cash. In this respect, we welcome the G7 Shared Understanding on Finance-Health Coordination and PPR Financing endorsed by the G7 Finance and Health Ministers at their joint session. Reaffirming that strengthening international norms and regulations is essential to enhance pandemic PPR, guided by equity, we reiterate our commitment to contributing to and sustaining momentum on the negotiations of WHO CA+ with a view to adopting it by May 2024 and on the negotiations of targeted amendments to strengthen the IHR, together with all stakeholders. Furthermore, we reiterate the importance of timely, transparent and systematic sharing of pathogens, data and information in a safe and secure manner, ensuring the respect of relevant data protection rules, for multisectoral and integrated surveillance of emerging and ongoing health threats both in ordinary times and in emergencies, in line with the G7 Pact for Pandemic Readiness. We also recognize the importance of strengthening and maintaining sufficient and high-quality human resources for health worldwide at all times, such as the public health and emergency workforce including consideration of Global Health Emergency Corps. We will support the further enhancement of a global network of experts and trainings, including through initiatives such as the WHO Academy, promote decent work with equal payment for work of equal value and protect health workers during emergencies and conflicts among others. We recognize the integral role civil society plays, including by reaching those in vulnerable situations, and recommit to working together for a healthier future for all.

34. We commit to reverse the first global decline in life expectancy in more than seven decades emphasizing the importance of achieving UHC by 2030 and accelerating progress toward SDG 3. We recommit to working alongside global partners to assist countries to achieve UHC by supporting primary health care (PHC) and developing and restoring essential health services, to achieve better than pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2025, as part of our effort to strengthen health systems in ordinary times. We commit to supporting countries to strengthen PHC delivery, including through health workforce strengthening We also commit to support bringing survival rates back to better than pre-pandemic levels, including by reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality, and consistent with the full range of SDG targets and indicators related to UHC on which we will also support progress. We recognize the importance of financial risk protection to prevent people from slipping into poverty due to health care costs. To this end, we endorse the "G7 Global Plan for UHC Action Agenda" and note the importance of a global hub function, in support of relevant international organizations, including for financing, knowledge management, and human resources on UHC. We reaffirm the essential role of UHC in addressing various health challenges significantly set back by the pandemic, including in humanitarian contexts, such as tackling communicable diseases including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, malaria, polio, measles, cholera, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including mental health conditions, realizing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all, and promoting routine immunization, healthy ageing, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). We are committed to spearheading research in this regard, including with a focus on understanding post COVID-19 conditions. We noted the historic outcome of the Global Fund's 7th replenishment and welcome the financial support from the G7 and further countries towards ending the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We call for continued support to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to stay on track for polio eradication by 2026. We will build on the success of the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in 2021 for the Paris N4G in 2024 to improve nutrition. We also commit to further promoting comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all individuals, including maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, especially in vulnerable circumstances. Recognizing the increasing need for overarching, system-level coordination and alignment of global health partnerships including the Global Health Initiatives and their interface, we will take collective actions to avoid fragmentation and duplication, ensure accountability, maximize impacts, and reinforce country leadership with a view to enhancing governance in global health and to supporting the achievement of UHC. In this regard, we look forward to the outcome of the Future of Global Health Initiatives. We reiterate our determination to further contribute to achieving UHC, including through making the most of and ensuring synergies among the upcoming UNGA HLMs on UHC, tuberculosis, and pandemic PPR. In order to contribute to global health towards the post COVID-19 era, with a view to supporting the achievement of UHC as well as strengthening PPR, we highlight our financial contributions totaling more than $48 billion from the public and private sectors. We also call for further domestic resource mobilization as well as efficient use of existing resources. We emphasize the important role of the private sector towards sustainable financing in global health, including through impact investments and endorse the Triple I (Impact Investments Initiative) for Global Health.

35. We reaffirm that innovative initiatives including those related to digital health are keys to strengthening GHA and achieving UHC. We will reiterate the urgent need to foster innovation and to strengthen research and development of safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable medical countermeasures (MCMs) as underlined by the 100 Days Mission. We commit to enhancing equitable access to MCM, including by addressing issues relating to manufacturing and delivery. In this regards, we will continue to contribute to ongoing processes, including in the G20, on an end-to-end MCM ecosystem, aligned with the ongoing discussions on the WHO CA+ and which should actively contribute to the diversification of MCM production and address the priority of the most vulnerable partner's needs and expectations, including in terms of global governance, in cooperation with relevant partners including the WHO, the WB, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Global Fund, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and Unitaid and Medicines Patent Pool, regional organizations and the private sector. To this end, we announce the G7 Hiroshima Vision for Equitable Access to MCMs and launch the MCM Delivery Partnership for equitable access (MCDP) to contribute to more equitable access to and delivery of MCMs based on the principles of equity, inclusivity, efficiency, affordability, quality, accountability, agility and speed. We commit to work across providers of development finance, for the purpose of identifying concrete options this summer for providing for the liquidity for global health organizations to procure and deliver MCMs earlier in a crisis. This supports the mapping exercise for surge financing to be conducted by the WHO and World Bank and presented at the G20 Finance and Health Task Force and the UNGA HLM, contributing to ongoing negotiations on the WHO CA+. We also reiterate our commitment to addressing global health threats including those exacerbated by climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution through integrated measures and by applying a holistic One Health approach. Recognizing the rapid escalation of AMR globally, we continue to commit to exploring and implementing push and pull incentives to accelerate R&D of antimicrobials as well as promoting antimicrobial access and stewardship for their prudent and appropriate use toward the UNGA HLM on AMR in 2024. We remain committed to promoting policies and resources to care for people living with dementia and welcome the development of potentially disease modifying therapies for the various types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

Labor

36. We emphasize the importance of investment in human capital to ensure a just transition, in response to structural changes such as digital and green transformations as well as demographic changes including societies that are ageing, in part due to declining birth rates. In order to facilitate these transformations, we commit to supporting individuals through reskilling and upskilling measures, along with a combination of appropriate social protection and active labor market policies. As reskilling and upskilling to support workers to adapt to these changes are investments in human capital and should not be seen as a cost, we must continue to provide adequate investment necessary to address workforce transition needs including vocational training and life-long learning. We commit to efforts towards achieving a virtuous cycle of workers’ well-being and social and economic vitality, which will lead to sustainable growth and real wage growth in line with productivity, contributing in turn to further investment in human capital. We emphasize that freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining play an important role in promoting decent work and wage growth. We are resolved to build an inclusive labor market that ensures decent and good quality jobs for all and leaves no one behind, especially, women and under-represented groups, including persons with disabilities, older persons and youth, while engaging constructively with social partners and other stakeholders. We also work towards quality job creation, universal access to social protection, and further improving gender equality in the labor market. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women and girls, and has highlighted the unequal distribution of care work as a key cause of gender inequalities, while showing the essential role paid and unpaid care work plays in the functioning of our societies and economies. We commit to addressing underlying discriminatory social and gender norms, such as unequal sharing of paid and unpaid care-work and housework, promoting and protecting social security including parental leave, providing support for childcare and other field of care work and care economy, including by facilitating access to infrastructures and long-term care. In particular, we reaffirm the need to support and promote parenthood protection to ensure parents can combine work and family and personal life and actively contribute to all spheres of our society. We also highlight the need to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care, reward care workers fairly, while generating sufficient care jobs to meet the demand for care, and give care workers representation in social dialogue and collective bargaining. We recognize the importance of enhancing work engagement and worker retention through various measures such as promoting health and well-being at work, ensuring occupational safety and health, and supporting the inclusive and equitable career development of workers. We commit to promoting decent work in line with SDG 8, including through technical cooperation, as well as ensuring respect for international labor standards and human rights in global value chains, in particular the fundamental conventions adopted by the International Labor Organisation (ILO). We reiterate our commitment to the effective abolition of all forms of forced and compulsory labor and child labor. We reaffirm our commitment to taking measures to strengthen our cooperation and collective efforts towards eradicating all forms of forced labor from global supply chains. We commit to continuing to promote decent work and protect rights-holders in global supply chains through a smart mix of mandatory and voluntary measures, including through legislation, regulations, incentives and guidance for enterprises and to engage constructively in discussions at the UN and the ILO in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders to explore ideas and options for a consensus-based legally binding instrument at the international level that adds value to the existing legal and policy approaches and is implementable. We endorse the Action Plan for Promoting Career Development and Greater Resilience to Structural Changes developed by Labor and Employment Ministers.

Education

37. We commit to making progress for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, including vocational education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all to build resilient, just and prospering societies. Recent crises have led to decreased access to education and increased learning loss amongst children and youth, especially girls, and those in the most marginalized and vulnerable situations. As education is a catalyst to achieving all of the SDGs, we reaffirm the importance of upholding education and building more resilient education systems, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. We reiterate our firm determination to uphold the G7's previous commitments to protecting educational opportunities for all learners, and to promoting gender equality as well as the empowerment of all women and girls in all their diversity, in and through education including by prioritizing global ODA in this regard. We welcome the UNSG's Transforming Education Summit (TES) in September 2022, and call for continued support to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and UN agencies including the UNESCO and UNICEF as key partners in helping countries to build stronger education systems for the most marginalized children. We also reiterate the importance of foundational learning and the need for the G7 to increase investment in people in a more equitable and efficient way to provide quality learning opportunities that prepare all learners, especially children with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and improve their own well-being, noting that education is a human right. We continue to break down gender-related barriers and underlying discriminatory social norms from pre-primary through higher education for more resilient, inclusive and gender-transformative education. We continue to encourage international exchanges between youth and international talent mobility and circulation among academics, students, and researchers, as well as cooperation between higher education and research institutions. We acknowledge the importance of investment in support of human resources that can contribute to resolving social issues while simultaneously achieving economic growth through education. We will strive for an educational environment and lifelong learning opportunities where every child can fulfil their own potential, including through the improvement of instruction. This could include promoting small class size, an improved Information and Communication Technology (ICT) environment and the effective use of digital technology to support teaching and learning, while not exacerbating the digital equality gaps.

Digital

38. We recognize that, while rapid technological change has been strengthening societies and economies, the international governance of new digital technologies has not necessarily kept pace. As the pace of technological evolution accelerates, we affirm the importance to address common governance challenges and to identify potential gaps and fragmentation in global technology governance. In areas such as AI, immersive technologies such as the metaverses and quantum information science and technology and other emerging technologies, the governance of the digital economy should continue to be updated in line with our shared democratic values. These include fairness, accountability, transparency, safety, protection from online harassment, hate and abuse and respect for privacy and human rights, fundamental freedoms and the protection of personal data. We will work with technology companies and other relevant stakeholders to drive the responsible innovation and implementation of technologies, ensuring that safety and security is prioritized, and that platforms are tackling the threats of child sexual exploitation and abuse on their platforms, and upholding the children's rights to safety and privacy online. We continue to discuss ways to advance technology for democracy and to cooperate on new and emerging technologies and their social implementation, and look forward to an inclusive, multi-stakeholder dialogue on digital issues, including on Internet Governance, through relevant fora, including the OECD Global Forum on Technology. We commit to further advancing multi-stakeholder approaches to the development of standards for AI, respectful of legally binding frameworks, and recognize the importance of procedures that advance transparency, openness, fair processes, impartiality, privacy and inclusiveness to promote responsible AI. We stress the importance of international discussions on AI governance and interoperability between AI governance frameworks, while we recognize that approaches and policy instruments to achieve the common vision and goal of trustworthy AI may vary across G7 members. We support the development of tools for trustworthy AI through multi-stakeholder international organizations, and encourage the development and adoption of international technical standards in standards development organizations through multi-stakeholder processes. We recognize the need to immediately take stock of the opportunities and challenges of generative AI, which is increasingly prominent across countries and sectors, and encourage international organizations such as the OECD to consider analysis on the impact of policy developments and Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) to conduct practical projects. In this respect, we task relevant ministers to establish the Hiroshima AI process, through a G7 working group, in an inclusive manner and in cooperation with the OECD and GPAI, for discussions on generative AI by the end of this year. These discussions could include topics such as governance, safeguard of intellectual property rights including copy rights, promotion of transparency, response to foreign information manipulation, including disinformation, and responsible utilization of these technologies. We welcome the Action Plan for promoting global interoperability between tools for trustworthy AI from the Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting. We recognize the potential of immersive technologies, and virtual worlds, such as metaverses to provide innovative opportunities, in all industrial and societal sectors, as well as to promote sustainability. For this purpose, governance, public safety, and human rights challenges should be addressed at the global level. We task our relevant Ministers to consider collective approaches in this area, including in terms of interoperability, portability and standards, with the support of the OECD. We express our interest in possible joint cooperation in research and development on computing technologies. We also task our relevant Ministers to consider ways to further promote digital trade.

39. We reaffirm that cross-border data flows, information, ideas and knowledge generate higher productivity, greater innovation, and improved sustainable development, while raising challenges related to privacy, data protection, intellectual property protection, and security including that of data and cloud infrastructure. We reiterate the importance of facilitating Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) to enable trustworthy cross-border data flows and invigorate the digital economy as a whole, while preserving governments’ ability to address legitimate public interest. We stress our intention to operationalize this concept and our support for cooperation within the G7 and beyond to work towards identifying commonalities, complementarities and elements of convergence between existing regulatory approaches and instruments enabling data to flow with trust, in order to foster future interoperability such as through supporting multi-stakeholder engagement, leveraging the role of technologies, and clarifying domestic and municipal policies and due processes. In this regard, we endorse the Annex on G7 Vision for Operationalising DFFT and its Priorities from the Digital and Tech Ministers’ Meeting, and the establishment of the Institutional Arrangement for Partnership. We task our relevant Ministers to continue working to deliver substantive outcomes and subsequently report back to us. We welcome the OECD Declaration on Government Access to Personal Data Held by Private Sector Entities as an instrument to increase trust in cross-border data flows among countries committed to democratic values and the rule of law. We emphasize our opposition to internet fragmentation and the use of digital technologies to infringe on human rights. In this context, we should counter unjustified obstacles to the free flow of data, lacking transparency, and arbitrarily operated, which should be distinguished from our measures implemented to achieve the legitimate public policy interests of each country. We seek to increase trust across our digital ecosystem and to counter the influence of authoritarian approaches. We recognize the importance of secure and resilient digital infrastructure as the foundation of society and the economy. We are committed to deepen our cooperation within the G7 and with like-minded partners to support and enhance network resilience by measures such as extending secure routes of submarine cables. We welcome supplier diversification efforts in ICTS supply chains and continue to discuss market trends towards open, interoperable approaches, alongside secure, resilient and established architecture in a technology neutral way. Under the Japanese G7 Presidency and against the background of early deployments of Open Radio Access Network (RAN), we have exchanged views on open architectures and security-related aspects and opportunities. We recognize the need to bridge the digital divides, including the gender digital divide, and the importance of initiatives to use data and technology for cities, such as smart city initiatives, to promote digital inclusion and address challenges in urban development. We will facilitate inclusive development and enable greater employability and movement of digital experts, and restate our commitment to supporting other countries to increase digital access under principles of equity, universality and affordability while ensuring that security, interoperability, the protection of personal data and respect for human rights including gender equality are built into global connectivity.

Science and Technology

40. We support the development of advanced technologies, research infrastructures and highly-skilled human resource networks that will drive innovation to solve global challenges and enable the next stage of economic growth. To this end, we promote international talent mobility and circulation. The G7 will promote open science by equitably disseminating scientific knowledge, publicly funded research outputs including research data and scholarly publications following the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles. This will enable researchers and people to benefit from and contribute to creating knowledge, innovation and solutions to global challenges. We further commit to working together to promote responsible global science and technology cooperation and use of emerging technologies such as advanced computing and biotechnology with partners sharing common values and principles in research and innovation. This includes a better understanding of the seas and the ocean in the context of climate change and utilizing very large research infrastructures. We are committed to fostering and promoting a common understanding of values and principles in research and innovation through dedicated multilateral dialogues, including in the area of research security and research integrity, and international joint research based on the philosophy of open science. We welcome the forthcoming launch of the G7 Virtual Academy and release of the Best Practices Paper on Research Security and Integrity. These efforts will contribute to addressing the various challenges that arise at the intersection of security, economy, and scientific research.

41. We reiterate our commitment to promoting the safe and sustainable use of outer space, given our ever-greater reliance on space systems. Restating the importance of addressing the issues of space debris, we strongly support the implementation of international guidelines adopted at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space as urgent and necessary. We welcome national efforts to develop further solutions for space debris mitigation and remediation as well as further research and development of orbital debris mitigation and remediation technologies. Furthermore, we commit not to conducting destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing and encourage others to follow suit in order to ensure the security, stability and sustainability of outer space.

Gender

42. Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls is fundamental for a resilient, fair, and prosperous society. We endeavor to work with all segments of society to ensure full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in all their diversity as well as LGBTQIA+ persons in politics, economics, education and all other spheres of society, and to consistently mainstream gender equality in all policy areas. In this respect, we commit to redoubling our efforts to overcome longstanding structural barriers and to addressing harmful gender norms, stereotypes, roles, and practices through such means as education and achieve a society where diversity, human rights and dignity are respected, promoted and protected and all people can enjoy vibrant lives free from violence and discrimination independent of gender identity or expression or sexual orientation. We welcome the work of the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) and look forward to strengthening it further. We look forward to the first revision of the G7 Dashboard on Gender Gaps and the publication of the first implementation report this year, which aims to monitor past G7 commitments to make progress on gender equality.

43. We express our strong concern about the rollback of women's and girls’ rights in particular in time of crisis and we strongly condemn all violations and abuses of human rights and fundamental freedoms for women and girls and LGBTQIA+ people around the world. We further recognize the essential and transformative role of comprehensive SRHR in gender equality and women's and girls’ empowerment, and in supporting diversity, including of sexual orientations and gender identities. We reaffirm our full commitment to achieving comprehensive SRHR for all , including by addressing access to safe and legal abortion and post abortion care. We are committed to championing, advancing and defending gender equality and the rights of women and girls in all their diversity, at home and abroad, and will work together to thwart attempts to undermine and reverse hard-won progress in this area. In this regard, we commit to advancing, implementing and strengthening the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda including its application to disaster risk reduction (DRR), through partnership with the WPS-Focal Points Network and support for National Action Plan development, and to promote intersectional approaches. We highlight the leading role of women in preventing violent conflict, delivering relief and recovery efforts, and forging lasting peace, and pledge to champion the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and political processes. We commit to strengthening our efforts to eliminate conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and the importance of providing comprehensive support and meaningful participation for victims and survivors, using a survivor-centered approach. We further commit to eliminating all forms of sexual and gender-based harassment and abuse both offline and online as well as aid-related sexual exploitation and abuse. We are committed to ensuring the right to education for all, and emphasize the importance of promoting equitable access to safe, gender-transformative quality education as well as to taking measures to close the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors and education, and close the gender digital gap. We see this as key to promote women's entrepreneurship, which is an essential building block to address the climate, nature and development challenges. We also commit to promoting reskilling and upskilling, fostering decent work conditions, strengthening financial inclusion of women in all their diversity, and eliminating the gender pay gap. We further reiterate our commitments to promoting women's full empowerment as well as their full and equal participation in decision-making processes at all levels, including in leadership positions. We recognize that quality care plays an essential role in the functioning of our societies and economies, but is a key cause of gender inequalities due to its gender unequal distribution.

44. To advance our commitments, we emphasize the need to overcome the fragmentation and marginalization of gender equality issues by enhancing our efforts to integrate and deepening gender mainstreaming for a substantial transformation of our societies. In this regard, we call for a continuous, holistic and comprehensive approach to promote gender equality by creating a "nexus" that bridges the political and security, economic and social spheres and advocate for maximizing the efficiency and the impact of multi-sectorial policies and of our actions across diverse dimensions of policy implementation. We stress the importance of such a nexus approach in our foreign and sustainable development policy and in our ODA and endeavor to support the nexus. We reaffirm our commitment to make every effort to collectively increase the share of our bilateral allocable ODA advancing gender equality and women's and girls’ empowerment over the coming years. In this regard, we welcome "the Fact Sheet: Promoting Gender Mainstreaming through the nexus approach" made by our experts and look forward to further progress in this area.

Human Rights, Refugees, Migration, Democracy

45. We reaffirm our commitment to upholding human rights and dignity of all, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so that everyone can participate fully and equally in society. We commit to firmly speaking out against human rights violations and abuses, and at the same time, listening to and assisting the countries and civil society organizations that seek to defend and promote human rights through dialogue and cooperation. Recognizing the need to deepen discussions within and beyond the G7 on business and human rights, we intend to strengthen cooperation and collective efforts, including by accelerating exchange of information, towards ensuring respect for human rights and international labor standards in business activities and global supply chains, and further enhancing resilience, predictability and certainty for businesses, and call upon others to join us in these efforts. We reaffirm our commitment to protecting refugees, supporting forcibly displaced persons and supporting host countries and communities, ensuring the full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of refugees and displaced persons, and defending and promoting the rights of marginalized people or persons facing vulnerable conditions exacerbated by conflict, crisis, and displacement, including freedom from sexual and gender-based violence. We call upon the international community to follow suit. We commit to fighting against impunity and holding perpetrators to account for the most serious crimes of international concern, including conflict-related sexual violence, together with improving documentation. In this regard, we recall the need to strengthen international architecture to prevent conflict-related sexual violence in the future. We acknowledge the importance of the discussions of the International Law Commission's draft articles on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. We continue to work with the international community towards the second Global Refugee Forum in December 2023. We reaffirm our commitment to support the inclusion of refugees, in the spirit of international cooperation and in line with the Global Compact on Refugees, national policies, legislation, and circumstances, ensuring full respect for their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

46. We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the safe, orderly, and regular migration around the world. We recognize the important economic and social benefits that migrants can bring to our countries. We commit to ensure full respect for their human rights and fundamental freedoms regardless of their migration status. We remain committed to preventing irregular and often highly dangerous migration whether by land or sea. We commit to joint efforts to tackle the organized criminal networks which facilitate illegal migration and the dangerous journey of migrants and asylum seekers, profiting off some of the most vulnerable. We call for firmness in dealing with this ruthless criminality that puts lives in danger and poses risks to the internal security of G7 partners. In this regard, we will intensify efforts to break the business model of organized criminal networks, including through cooperation to disrupt the supply chains that enable the criminal and exploitative operations of those engaged in the trafficking and smuggling of human beings. To this end, we will task relevant Ministers to deepen partnerships to enhance our understanding of the root causes and work together with partners around the world to address this complex challenge.

47. We reaffirm our shared belief that democracy is the most enduring means to advance peace, prosperity, equality and sustainable development. We reaffirm our commitment to protecting the information environment by supporting media freedom and online freedom, including protection from online harassment and abuse, internet shutdowns and disruptions, as well as addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which is designed to undermine trust in democratic institutions, and sow discord in the international community. We strongly condemn the widespread use of information manipulation and interference by Russia in order to gain support for its war of aggression against Ukraine and to obscure the facts of its aggression. Through the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), we will work to strengthen our collective efforts to counter threats to democracy, including such manipulation, with full respect for international human rights law, in particular freedom of expression. We will work towards ensuring that fact-based, quality and trustworthy information is promoted, and call on digital platforms to support this approach. We will increase cooperation on these issues with government and non-governmental partners from all regions who share the determination to promote access to such information, including through supporting relevant international initiatives, such as the Partnership for Information and Democracy, and efforts by the UN and OECD.

Countering Terrorism, Violent Extremism and Transnational Organized Crime / Upholding the Rule of Law / Anti-Corruption

48. We reiterate our strong commitment to working together with all relevant actors to counter all forms of terrorism and violent extremism, both online and offline, as well as transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, child sexual abuse and exploitation, corruption, fraud, intellectual property theft, ransomware threats, cybercrime and environmental crimes, as well as money laundering and terrorist financing in a unified, coordinated, inclusive, transparent and human-rights-based, gender-responsive manner. In countering the exploitation of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes and countering the misuses of technologies for criminal purposes, we will continue our utmost efforts to enhance global cooperation and digital response capacity. In this regard, building on our collaboration and on efforts through existing frameworks such as the Christchurch Call, and recalling previous commitments, including maintaining tightly controlled lawful access, we call on the private sector to step up their efforts to address the problem of dissemination of terrorist and violent extremist content online and to prioritize safety by design, and stop, in particular, child sexual exploitation and abuse on their platforms. We support the efforts of our partner countries to sign and ratify the relevant international agreements such as the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and those of the Council of Europe such as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, in the wide spectrum of cooperation by criminal justice and other relevant authorities that form the basis for efficient cross-border cooperation. We also recognize the significant public health and security threat of illicit synthetic drugs and will strengthen our cooperation to address it, engaging with other willing countries and the private sector.

49. We will also strengthen bilateral, regional and multilateral coordination and cooperation in the field of law and justice, such as providing technical assistance to countries to develop and implement laws, and capacity building related to the justice sector. We will continue to step up our fight against corruption, promoting good governance and strengthening accountable, transparent, equitable and community-oriented law enforcement to make progress on many of our shared priorities, which will lead to safer and more secure societies and thus contribute to the promotion of the rule of law and respect for human rights. We further recognize that corruption and related illicit finance and proceeds of crime drain public resources, can often fuel organized crime, enable kleptocratic systems to accumulate wealth and power at the expense of citizens, and undermine democratic governance. We will pursue a stronger and more unified approach in rigorously enforcing international anti-corruption obligations and standards, and enhancing law enforcement cooperation, including through relevant regional and international organizations, and holding corrupt actors accountable. Recalling the importance of beneficial ownership transparency for the integrity and transparency of democratic systems, we reaffirm the importance of supporting African partners in establishing and strengthening registers of beneficial ownership.

Region a l Affairs

50. We stand together on core foreign policy and security challenges to build a more secure and prosperous future. We also reaffirm our determination to work with a wide range of partners to address pressing global challenges and to ensure that the international system is able to respond effectively to these issues.

51. We stand together as G7 partners on the following elements, which underpin our respective relations with China:

52. There is no legal basis for China's expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China's militarization activities in the region. We emphasize the universal and unified character of the UNCLOS and reaffirm UNCLOS's important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas. We reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016, is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings, and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.

53. We strongly condemn North Korea's unprecedented number of unlawful ballistic missile launches, each of which violated multiple UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). We demand that North Korea refrain from any other destabilizing or escalatory actions, including any further nuclear tests or launches that use ballistic missile technology, which undermine regional stability and pose a grave threat to international peace and security. Such reckless actions must be met with a swift, united, and robust international response. This must include further significant measures to be taken by the UN Security Council. We reiterate our unwavering commitment to the goal of North Korea's complete, verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs in accordance with relevant UNSCRs. We are concerned about North Korea's choice to prioritize its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs over the welfare of the people in North Korea. We call on North Korea to accept repeated offers of dialogue, including from Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea. We urge North Korea to respect human rights, facilitate access for international humanitarian organizations, and resolve the abductions issue immediately.

54. We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating security, humanitarian, human rights, and political situation in Myanmar, and we express our solidarity with its people. We continue to support ASEAN's efforts including its continued engagements with all stakeholders in Myanmar to implement the Five-Point Consensus, including through Indonesia as the ASEAN Chair and ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar. We continue to call on the Myanmar military to immediately cease all violence, release all political prisoners and those arbitrarily detained, create an environment for an inclusive and peaceful dialogue, and return the country to a genuinely democratic path. We reiterate our call on all states to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar. We also call for full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all people, especially the most vulnerable.

55. We note with grave concern increased threats to stability and the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan. We call on the Taliban to uphold its counterterrorism commitments and to ensure the territory of Afghanistan cannot be used to threaten or attack any country, to plan or finance terrorist acts, or to shelter and train terrorists. We express our strongest opposition to the Taliban's systematic violations on human rights and fundamental freedoms, and call for the immediate reversal of unacceptable decisions, especially those against women and girls. All Afghans must enjoy full, equal, and meaningful participation in all spheres of public life, and have access to humanitarian assistance and basic services. We call upon the Taliban to respect UNSCR 2681/2023 and the UN Charter, including Article 8, and to ensure unrestricted operations of the UN in Afghanistan. To remedy the persistent lack of political inclusivity and representation, we urge the Taliban to take significant steps to engage in credible, inclusive and Afghan-led national dialogue, in which all Afghans can be involved. We recognize the need for conveying unified messages to the Taliban in coordination with other international partners.

56. We reiterate our clear determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. We remain deeply concerned about Iran's unabated escalation of its nuclear program, which has no credible civilian justification and brings it dangerously close to actual weapon-related activities. A diplomatic solution remains the best way to resolve this issue. In that context, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action continues to provide a useful reference. We call on Iran to take prompt and concrete actions to fulfill its legal obligations and political commitments, including nuclear non-proliferation and safeguards obligations. We reiterate our profound concern over Iran's systemic human rights violations and abuses, including its repression of popular feminist protest as well as the targeting of individuals, including women, girls, minority groups, and journalists, in and outside of Iran. We call on Iran's leadership to end all unjust and arbitrary detentions.

57. We express our grave concern regarding Iran's continued destabilizing activities, including the transfer of missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related technologies to state and non-state actors and proxy groups, in breach of UNSCRs including 2231 and 2216. Iran must stop supporting Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. In particular, we call upon Iran to cease transferring armed UAVs, which have been used to attack Ukraine's critical infrastructure and kill Ukrainian civilians. We welcome initiatives to improve bilateral relations and de-escalate tensions in the region, including Iran and Saudi Arabia's recent agreement to restore ties. We emphasize the importance of ensuring maritime security in the Middle East's waterways and call on Iran not to interfere with the lawful exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by all vessels.

58. We call on Israelis and Palestinians to take steps to build trust toward the realization of a two-state solution. To this end, all parties must refrain from unilateral actions, including settlement activities and incitement to violence. We reiterate our support for the historic status quo in Jerusalem. We welcome the recent meetings between Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and the United States and hope their commitments will be fulfilled in good faith. We will continue our support for Palestinian economic self-reliance and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

59. We remain firmly committed to an inclusive, UN-facilitated political process consistent with UNSCR 2254 in Syria. We reaffirm that the international community should only consider normalization and reconstruction assistance once there is authentic and enduring progress towards a political solution. We express our continued support for the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and are committed to accountability for those responsible for the use of chemical weapons and violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable. We call for full and unhindered humanitarian access to all Syrians in need, particularly through UN cross-border aid for which there is no alternative in scope or scale. We remain committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS, including durable solutions for ISIS detainees and displaced persons remaining in Northeast Syria.

60. We further express our support to preserve stability and prosperity in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Regarding Yemen, we call on all parties to secure a durable ceasefire and work towards a comprehensive, durable, and inclusive Yemeni-led political process under UN auspices. We encourage the Tunisian government to meet the democratic aspiration of its people, to address its economic situation and to reach an agreement with the IMF. We also support efforts to achieve stability and unity in Libya under the auspice of the UN in coordination with the African Union and the Arab League. We urge all Libyan stakeholders to work constructively on the political process in order to hold free, fair, and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections by the end of 2023.

61. We reaffirm our engagement with Central Asian countries to address various regional challenges, including the consequences of Russia's war of aggression, the destabilizing effect of the situation in Afghanistan, food and energy security, terrorism, and climate change. We are determined to foster trade and energy links, sustainable connectivity and transportation, including the "Middle Corridor" and associated projects to enhance regional prosperity and resilience.

62. We are deepening our partnerships with African countries and regional organizations, including the African Union. We have each expressed support to African calls for stronger representation in international fora, notably the G20. We reiterate our strong commitment to supporting governments in the region to address, in a manner consistent with international law, the underlying conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, violent extremism, and instability across Africa. We are seriously concerned about the growing presence of the Russia-affiliated Wagner Group forces on the continent and their destabilizing impact and human rights abuses. Keeping in mind the situations in West Africa and the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes regions, we will work together to support African-led efforts on peace, stability and prosperity on the continent. In this regard, we welcome the positive developments stemming from the cessation of hostilities agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, and call on both parties to remain committed to full implementation. We also call for international support for the Somali President's reform priorities and the fight against al-Shabaab. We reaffirm our commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We welcome the cessation of hostilities agreed in March and call for its full implementation. We condemn the advance of the UN-sanctioned March 23 Movement armed group (M23) and join African leaders in calling for M23 to withdraw unconditionally from all territories it controls. We are also seriously concerned about the spread of terrorist threats and activities towards coastal countries in West Africa, and are available to lend our support in addressing those threats.

63. We strongly condemn the ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. This threatens the security and safety of civilians, undermines efforts to restore Sudan's democratic transition, and could affect the stability of the region. We urge the parties to end hostilities immediately without pre-conditions and return civilian-led democratic government. We call on all actors to renounce violence and take active steps to reduce tensions, and ensure the safety of all civilians, including humanitarian personnel. The parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, ensure the safety of all civilians, including humanitarian personnel, and not impede or restrict the delivery of life-saving aid. We commend the bravery and fortitude of humanitarian agencies working in Sudan. We acknowledge the generosity of Sudan's neighbors who, despite facing significant humanitarian challenges of their own, host a growing number of Sudanese refugees. We commit to supporting response operations in Sudan and across East and North Africa and the Sahel region for refugees and returnees.

64. We highlight the importance of enhancing cooperation with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to uphold shared interests as well as values. We are committed to working with regional partners to address economic challenges, climate change, biodiversity loss, natural disasters, and other global issues. We reiterate our commitment to strengthen coordination with Latin American and Caribbean partners and other actors to promote the rule of law, respect for human rights, and meet the elevated humanitarian and security needs in the region, especially in Venezuela, Haiti, and Nicaragua. With respect to the ongoing crisis in Haiti, we underscore the importance of working towards Haitian-led solution for a return to stability and need to hold accountable those who cultivate violence, corruption and instability.

65. We welcome the Agreement on the path to normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and its Implementation Annex, reached under the EU facilitated dialogue in Brussels on February 27 and in Ohrid on March 18 respectively. In order to unlock its full potential for the citizens of Kosovo and Serbia and for advancing good-neighbourly relations in the Western Balkans, we call on both parties to implement expediently and in good faith their respective obligations.

Conclusion

66. We appreciate the exchanges with and the inputs from the G7 Engagement Groups. We are furthermore grateful for the valuable contributions from the Heads of the IEA, the IMF, the OECD, the UN, the WB, the WHO and the WTO who joined us in Hiroshima.

Reference documents:

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