EU discussed trade, climate and migration at the G20 Summit in Hamburg
In the margins of the Summit, Presidents Juncker and Tusk held bilateral meetings on 8 July with Mr Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, Prime Minister of Vietnam, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia and Mr Mauricio Macri, President of Argentina, who takes over the rotating G20 Presidency from Germany later this year. President Juncker also met bilaterally with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following the summit, the G20 leaders adopted a declaration focusing on:
- sharing the benefits of globalisation
- building resilience
- improving sustainable livelihood
- assuming responsibility
They also adopted an action plan to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation and tackle foreign terrorist fighters.
Regarding energy and climate, leaders took note of the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The leaders of the other G20 members stated that the Paris Agreement is irreversible and they endorsed the G20 Hamburg climate and energy action plan for growth.
On the migration and refugee crisis, leaders agreed to step up coordination and act against people smugglers and traffickers. Addressing the root causes of migration and supporting countries of origin and transit are also priorities for the leaders.
“Migrant smuggling is an organised business. Last year it generated 1.6 billion dollars in Libya alone. These profits allow the smugglers to control some parts of the country. They also cooperate with terrorists and further undermine the stabilisation of Libya,” said President Donald Tusk at the press conference ahead of the G20 Summit, 7 July 2017.
Leaders stressed the need to better help people seize the opportunities and benefits of economic globalisation. They also discussed how to continue building an open and resilient financial system.
Leaders committed to increase international tax cooperation and financial transparency, as well as to address the issue of excess steel capacity.
Africa's development remained a high priority for the G20. Leaders launched the G20 Africa partnership to boost growth and jobs in the continent. This includes the G20 initiative for rural youth employment which will contribute to creating 1.1 million new jobs by 2022.
Leaders stressed the importance of harnessing digitalisation to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth. Promoting digital literacy and skills is essential to better prepare people for the future of work.
Leaders also agreed to take further action to achieve gender equality. They stressed the role of digitalisation and ICT to support women's empowerment.
In addition, leaders emphasised the value of international health cooperation, in particular to better combat antimicrobial resistance.
The 13th edition of the G20 summit will be hosted by Argentina in 2018.
More information:
G20 Leaders' Declaration - Shaping an interconnected world, 8 July 2017
G20 Action Plan on Countering Terrorism, 7 July 2017