Joint declaration Meeting of G7 Development Ministers: Fair Partnerships in the Multipolar World
Copyright© Italian G7 Presidency
The G7 development ministers at their meeting in Pescara, Italy
Development Minister Svenja Schulze said, “With its invitation to a meeting of the G7 development ministers, the Italian G7 Presidency is sending an important signal: development policy is at the heart of what the G7 does – and it is more important than ever. In the multipolar world order, the G7 is competing globally for international partnerships. With this joint declaration we are showing that we, the G7, are offering concrete and fair development policy deals to our partner countries. The fact that numerous BRICS states and also many other host countries are taking part in this G7 meeting shows the high degree of interest in working together.”
The last meeting of G7 development ministers, which was hosted by the German G7 Presidency, took place in Berlin in 2022. Italy, which is the current holder of the presidency, has further strengthened G7 cooperation in the field of development cooperation by organising a meeting dedicated to that topic. In addition to the G7 countries, participants in the meeting also include Brazil, as this year’s holder of the G20 Presidency, along with Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Norway, plus the new BRICS members Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates and numerous international organisations as well. The meeting is one of a series of important international conferences taking place this year: it follows the UN Summit of the Future at the end of September and the Hamburg Sustainability Conference at the start of October and coincides with the BRICS summit taking place in Kasan, Russia and the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia; it also precedes the G20 summit in Rio, Brazil and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan in November.
In their Declaration, the G7 ministers are agreeing to solidify and further develop the Apulia Food Systems Initiative launched at the G7 summit meeting of Heads of State and Government in June 2024. The Initiative is meant to remove structural obstacles to food security worldwide and increase the sustainability and productivity of agricultural and food systems. The Initiative has been closely coordinated with the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which the Brazilian Presidency is planning to officially launch at the G20 Summit on 18/19 November. Germany is one of the Alliance’s first members, having recently joined it at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC). The outcomes of the HSC are also acknowledged in the G7 Declaration as important steps towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Furthermore, the G7 development ministers are strengthening the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) founded in Elmau in 2022 under the German G7 Presidency with the aim of advancing major infrastructure projects worldwide that have high sustainability and quality standards. The establishment of a dedicated secretariat to support coordination, project implementation, communication and accountability will further solidify the Partnership. A platform is also being set up with the aim of improving the availability of data for infrastructure investments in Africa and an overview of flagship projects will be published.
In a special session yesterday (Tuesday, 22 October), the G7 also discussed the continuing conflict in the Middle East and declared their support for de-escalation and humanitarian assistance.
The G7 development ministers’ Declaration can be found here (External link).