Chapter 3
Japan's Economic Diplomacy to Promote National and Global Interests
Section 2 Leading Discussions at International Conferences
1 G7 and G20
Japan actively participates in G7 and G20 Summits, which are attended by the world's major nations, and makes efforts to maintain and strengthen the international order.
(1) G7
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S., the G7 Presidency of the year, hosted the G7 Leaders' Video Conference on March 16. It was the first video conference among G7 leaders. At the meeting, the G7 leaders agreed to use all policy tools in order to contain the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, and to coordinate on efforts such as the rapid development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines, and released the G7 Leaders' Statement. Prime Minister Abe stated his intention to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in their complete form as a symbol of overcoming COVID-19, and other leaders expressed their support.
At the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held via video conference on March 25, the Ministers affirmed their coordination in response to COVID-19 and also had lively discussions on regional affairs including North Korea, China and Iran.
At the G7 Leaders' Video Conference on April 16, the G7 leaders agreed on matters such as the importance of developing vaccines and medicines and of supporting developing countries. Prime Minister Abe spoke particularly on the following points: developing and distributing medicines; supporting countries with vulnerable medical and healthcare systems; international sharing support and information concerning the crisis; strengthening infectious disease prevention systems worldwide, and; building economies resilient to crises.
G7 Leaders' Video Conference (April 16, Tokyo; Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
(2) G20
On March 26, Saudi Arabia, the G20 Presidency of the year, hosted the G20 Leaders' Video Conference. The G20 leaders adopted the Leaders' Statement, which clearly expressed their determination to coordinate on public health and financial measures, and minimize disruptions to trade and the global supply chain. As one of the lead speakers, Prime Minister Abe emphasized the importance of accelerating the development of medicines and called for the G20 to implement bold and large-scale economic and fiscal policies, which received support from the other leaders. The Leaders' Statement stated that the G20 leaders commended Japan's determination to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in their complete form as a symbol of human resilience.
At the G20 Foreign Ministers' Extraordinary Virtual Meeting held on September 3, the Ministers shared knowledge and experience in dealing with COVID-19 and discussed possible ways of international cooperation for resuming cross-border travel. During the G20 Riyadh Summit, held via video conference on November 21 and 22, the G20 leaders held discussions on the agendas, “Overcoming the Pandemic and Restoring Growth and Jobs,” and “Building an Inclusive, Sustainable, and Resilient future.” After the Summit, the G20 Riyadh Leaders' Declaration was released as a summary of the discussions. Prime Minister Suga took the lead in the discussion, remarking that the G20 should deliver a clear message that the G20 members will lead the international community in (1) responding to COVID-19, (2) recovering the global economy, (3) resuming cross-border travel, and (4) shaping the post-COVID-19 international order. On the subject of health, the leaders affirmed the importance of contributing to international frameworks for ensuring equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, and the importance of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). With regard to trade, the leaders agreed on the unprecedented importance of a multilateral trading system, the political support for WTO reforms, as well as the necessity of strengthening supply chain sustainability and resiliency. The leaders also spoke on digitalization, affirming that digital technology would play a key role in the response to COVID-19, and acknowledged the importance of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT). The leaders also agreed to explore concrete ways to facilitate the movement of people. With regard to the climate change, conserving the global environment, and sustainable using of resources and energy, the G20 leaders referred to the international efforts including the Paris Agreement. In addition, the leaders affirmed their intention to proceed with the implementation of the “G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment” and to contribute to achieving the SDGs.
G20 Riyadh Summit (November 22, Tokyo; Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
Prime Minister Suga emphasized Japan's determination to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 as a symbol of overcoming COVID-19. As a result, the Leaders' Statement included a sentence to commend Japan's determination to host the Games in 2021 as a symbol of humanity's resilience and global unity in overcoming COVID-19.