Monday, June 07, 2021

What every G7 country wants as world leaders set to meet in Cornwall this week

EXPLAINED

Each leader will use the summit to raise issues such as Northern Ireland, global coronavirus vaccinations and climate targets
Global leaders are due to meet at the G7 summit in Cornwall (Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville)

By Taz Ali
June 7, 2021 

World leaders will gather in the UK this week for the G7 summit, where they will discuss the biggest issues the world is facing today including economic recovery, health emergencies and the climate crisis.

US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet in Cornwall between 11-13 June alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson and leaders from Japan, Canada, Italy and France who make up the G7 (Group of Seven).

While talks will focus on the global recovery from the pandemic, each leader will use the summit to raise to issues such post-Brexit plans for Northern Ireland, global coronavirus vaccinations, taxes on multinationals and climate targets.

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Here’s what the world leaders will call for at the G7 summit:

UK
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge leaders to vaccinate the world against Covid-19 (Photo: WPA Pool/ Getty/ Justin Tallis)

Mr Johnson will urge world leaders to commit to vaccinating the global population by the end 2022, as he pushes for a watch system to catch new Covid-19 variants before they can plunge countries back into lockdown.

He is calling on his counterparts to “rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era” by “vaccinating the world by the end of next year”, in a move he said would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

He is also expected to urge global leaders to replicate the UK’s target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, as he will be seeking commitments from leaders to kickstart a green industrial revolution and build climate-resilient economies.

Covid, carbon and China are on the G7 agenda but Boris Johnson will look forward to glad-handing Joe Biden

The Prime Minister has invited leaders from Australia, India and South Korea as he seeks to “intensify cooperation between the world’s democratic and technologically advanced nations”.

He said he wants to use the G7 and the upcoming COP26 climate talks, which will take place in Glasgow in November, to “build back better” from the pandemic and “create a greener, more prosperous future”.

However, he is facing criticism over his decision to slash the UK’s aid spending, with the UK being the only G7 country to cut its aid spending during the pandemic.


US


The US President pledged to affirm his “special relationship” with the UK when he meets with Mr Johnson at the G7 summit for the first time since he took office.

“This trip is about realising America’s renewed commitment to our allies and partners,” Mr Biden wrote in the Washington Post on Saturday 5 June.

US President Joe Biden seeks to affirm ‘special relationship’ with the UK at the G7 summit (Photo: Reuaters/ Kevin Lamarque)

However, Mr Johnson responded by rejecting the use of the phrase “special relationship” after allegedly concluding that it makes the UK sound “needy”.

Mr Biden, who is proud of his Irish heritage, will also warn Mr Johnson not to renege on the Northern Ireland protocol, which keeps the province in both the UK’s customs territory and the EU’s single market.



Mr Biden and his counterparts are also expected to support a landmark global deal to set a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15 per cent.

The decision reached by G7 finance ministers on Saturday 5 June could potentially hit giant tech companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon.

He will push allies to add pressure on China over allegations of forced labour in Xinjiang province, home to the Muslim Uighur minority, while seeking to maintain Beijing as an ally in the climate change fight.

Germany

It will be last G7 summit German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend before she steps down after an election in September.

Mrs Merkel is set to hand Mr Johnson an ultimatum over the Northern Ireland protocol, along with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Climate change will also be on the agenda after Mrs Merkel set out plans for Germany’s new stronger target to cut emissions to net-zero by 2045.

France


The French President had previously proposed in February that wealthy countries in Europe and elsewhere should set aside 5 per cent of its Covid-19 vaccines for distribution in Africa.


Mr Macron had also encouraged G7 leaders to increase their funding for Covax, the United-Nations backed scheme aiming to supply low and medium income countries with coronavirus vaccines.

Covid, carbon and China are on the G7 agenda but Boris Johnson will look forward to glad-handing Joe Biden

He had wanted the UK to invite the Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya to the summit to speak at one of the “outreach” sessions, during which outside figures can address the G7 leaders.

But the Government said there were no plans to invite “further national participants to the G7 Summit”, adding that the leaders would discuss “Belarus’ reckless and dangerous behaviour” following the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk last month.

It will also be Mr Macron’s last G7 before a 2022 election in France.

Italy

The Government said Mr Johnson spoke with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi last week to discuss the importance of “securing concrete action” on issues like global access to vaccines and tackling climate change at the G7 meeting.

A statement from 10 Downing Street said: “The leaders discussed the prospects for global economic recovery from the pandemic and collaboration between the UK and Italy on security issues.”

Sharing his support for the tax on multinationals, Mr Draghi described it as a “historic step towards a fairer and more equitable society for our citizens”.

It will be the Italian PM’s international debut at the G7 summit, along with Mr Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Japan

Japan has faced anger from China after it joined the European Union in voicing concerns over tensions in the South and East China Seas where there are territorial and maritime disputes.

The joint statement by the EU and Japan echoed comments made by G7 foreign ministers after they urged Beijing to refrain from ramping up tensions amid concern about open conflict with Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Mr Suga said earlier this year that G7 leaders gave unanimous support for his bid to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

However, Japan is under pressure to end its financial support for coal development overseas and invest in renewable energy, while all other G7 members were united in calling for an end to such financing.

Canada


Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country will work with its international partners to “keep people healthy, create jobs and opportunity, grow the middle class, fight climate change and strengthen democratic values”.

In a statement last week he said the G7 summit will also focus on “finding coordinated approaches to promoting international rules and human rights, democracy, and gender equality”.

However, opposition figures have urged Mr Trudeau to improve Canada’s climate record, claiming it is the only G7 country that has increased emissions every year since the Paris Agreement.

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