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The G7 Summit, 2023 in Hiroshima

The Group of Seven (G7) Summit is an annual international forum for the leaders of the G7 member countries of the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Italy, and Canada. The EU participates in all debates as a guest, and the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission are jointly represented. As the G7 Presidency in 2023, Japan hosted the Summit in Hiroshima.

The Group of Seven (G7) Leaders assembled in Hiroshima for their annual summit on May 19–21, 2023, more unified than ever in their desire to address the day’s global challenges and chart a road for a better future. Their work is founded on adherence to the United Nations Charter and international cooperation.

Concrete measures are being taken to:

Support Ukraine for as long as it takes in the face of Russia’s illegal war of aggression; promote disarmament and non-proliferation initiatives toward the ultimate goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and secure for all; Coordinate their strategy for economic resilience and security, which is built on diversifying and expanding partnerships and de-risking rather than de-coupling; facilitate the transition to future clean energy economies through collaboration within and outside the G7; launch the Hiroshima Action Statement for Resilient Global Food Security with member nations to address current and future requirements; and meet their objective of generating $600 billion in financing for excellent infrastructure through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII).

According to Prime Minister Kishida, the main theme of the summit is to confirm the G7’s unity, strengthen the G7’s roles toward an international community that emphasizes cooperation, not separation and disagreement, and provide active and concrete contributions toward this goal. Prime Minister Kishida then emphasized that the G7 should clearly define two pillars: sustaining a free and open global system based on the rule of law and expanding outreach to international partners outside the G7. Following a conversation, the G7 leaders agreed on the significance of these two perspectives.

In terms of digital, the G7 leaders reaffirmed the importance of governance for generative AI and immersive technologies based on G7 ideals. The leaders decided that the ministers in charge would discuss generative AI as part of the “Hiroshima AI process” and that the results would be reported by the end of this year. Furthermore, Prime Minister Kishida announced that he would request G7 collaboration in the early formation of an international framework based on a ministerial agreement to materialize Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT). Based on that discussion, Prime Minister Kishida announced that Japan would provide the chair, including making financial contributions as appropriate.

In terms of trade, Prime Minister Kishida stated that a free and fair trading system based on WTO standards is the cornerstone of global growth and stability. Following the conversation, the G7 leaders agreed on the importance of working to sustain and strengthen the free and fair trade system, particularly through WTO reform.

The G7 leaders will collaborate with overseas collaborators to create a human-centered, inclusive, and resilient society without one left behind. In such spirit, they welcomed the leaders’ participation from Australia, the Comoros, Brazil, the Cook Islands, India, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam.