The international system established after World War II is struggling to address contemporary global challenges. Originally driven by the interests of a select group of states, this system now fuels conflict and hinders peace, stability, and prosperity worldwide.
The 50th G7 Summit, hosted by Italy in Apulia from June 13 to 15, 2024, brings together the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Italy has invited African leaders, including Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Kenyan President William Ruto, and Tunisian President Kais Saied, to discuss development and migration in Africa. Other notable guests include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Many G7 countries are experiencing political changes, with leaders like President Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and French President Emmanuel Macron facing upcoming elections. This summit is crucial for achieving significant progress under the current leadership.
The theme of this year’s summit is the “rules-based international system.” Italy, hosting the summit for the first time under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has outlined an agenda focusing on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Africa and migration, economic security, and international cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI).
Focus Areas of the 2024 G7 Summit
1. Supporting Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom: G7 leaders have announced a plan to provide Ukraine with $50 billion in new financing by leveraging the interest earned on immobilized Russian sovereign assets held in the EU and other jurisdictions. President Biden and President Zelensky signed the U.S.-Ukraine Bilateral Security Agreement, demonstrating enduring U.S. support for Ukraine through binding commitments to deepen security and defense cooperation.
2. Advancing International Peace, Security, and Prosperity: The G7’s work is grounded in a shared commitment to respect the UN Charter, promote international peace and security, and uphold a free and open rules-based international order.
3. Promoting Economic Resilience and Security: President Biden rallied the G7 to take further steps to protect workers, industries, and investments, aiming to enhance economic resilience and security.
4. Partnering with Developing Countries: The G7 is taking ambitious steps to scale up support to developing countries and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
5. Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition: Addressing climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, the G7 is accelerating its efforts to promote a clean energy transition.
6. Promoting Health and Food Security: The G7 continues to lead global efforts to address the food security crisis and support robust, resilient health systems worldwide.
7. Investing in Childcare to Support Women’s Economic Participation: The G7 is tackling the unequal gender distribution of care work, which contributes to gender inequality.
8. Enhancing Migration Partnership: Building on the principles of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, the G7 affirmed a collective commitment to address migration challenges and opportunities.
9. Deepening Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence: In line with the Biden Administration’s vision, the G7 is building global partnerships to ensure the benefits of AI and other technologies are widely shared while mitigating risks.
10. Increasing Coordination to Promote AI Safety: G7 leaders committed to enhancing interoperability between respective approaches to AI governance and risk management.
The global order established post-World War II is inadequate for addressing modern challenges. International organizations and dominant countries must recognize the need for a new framework that aligns with contemporary realities. The G7 and similar bodies must evolve to effectively contribute to global peace, stability, and prosperity. The upcoming G7 summit presents an opportunity for world leaders to make significant strides in adapting the international system to better address current and future challenges, ensuring a fairer, more equitable global order.
