DECLARATION
High Level Summit
“Increasing global solidarity, sustaining peace and building resilience in countries affected by conflict and fragility”
Friday, 22nd September 2023
We, the members of group of seven plus (g7+) countries represented by Heads of states, governments, and Ministers met on 22nd of September 2023 on the margins of the high-level week of the 78th session of United Nations General Assembly in the presence of international partners, civil society and friendly countries hereby:
Express deep concern over the increasing global incidents of war, political instability, natural disaster, and social and economic distress; these concurrent crises disproportionately affect conflict affected and poor countries and are further intensified by the deteriorating geopolitical and geo-economic tensions among countries in general and developed nations in particular.
Realize the potential of inclusive, representative and democratic multilateralism founded on the vision of shared peace and prosperity to help addressing the above-mentioned global crises.
Congratulate Sierra Leone that will be assuming the non-permanent membership of the UN Secuirity Council which is an excellent opportunity for the g7+ members to rally support for conflict affected countries.
Commend the spirit of solidarity among members of g7+ and believe in its potential to help catalyze improved international relations as a means to initiate, build and sustain peace and resilience among countries.
Recall that our countries bear disproportionate burdens and risks arising from climate change-related crises such as prolonged droughts, devastating floods, wild fires, and extreme weather conditions resulting in incidents of extreme hunger, displacement, loss of life, damages and poverty.
Take note of the fact that conflict is among the major causes of extreme hunger, poverty, and emergencies and hence the impetus for nexus approaches between humanitarian, development, and peace (HDP) communities.
Emphasize that all g7+ countries have the potential for resilience, conflict prevention, stability, lasting peace and socio-economic development in the g7+ countries.
Welcome the UN Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace and in particular its recommendations such as developing national prevention strategies to address drivers and enablers of all forms of violence, and for the United Nations to provide tailor-made support and expertise, including through a group of climate action, resilience and peacebuilding.
Emphasize that g7+ countries have the opportunity to promote collective wisdom and action in purusing peace, stability and resilience through peer learning and fragile-to-fragile cooperation.
Reiterate our commitment to the principles of the New Deal for engagement in fragile states that underlies the principles of country ownership, its peacebuilding and statebuilding goals and effective development cooperation, including to identify the drivers of fragility and sources of resilience.
Recognize and welcome the growing support from the OECD, World Bank, United Nations and bilateral donors to support government-led country platforms in g7+ countries for more effective cooperation in peacebuilding, statebuilding and development.
Take note that we have only seven years to realize the Sustainable Development Goals and that we must redouble our efforts to this end, including to center our focus on realizing SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.
Consolidate our membership of g7+ and strengthen our collaboration through ratification of g7+ charter, greater adherence to our collective cause of peace through advocacy, peer learning and cooperation.
Work to strengthen democracy, national cohesion through promoting reconciliation and dialogue to address our differences, and national resilience to cope with imminent and future challenges.
Promote our collective stance at the United Nations in areas of greater relevance to the mission of g7+ that includes exploring ways to inform the UN secuirity council and relevant committees of the g7+ perspective.
Support democratic, representative and effective multilateral systems and policies that work for all including advocating for reforms in the UN Secuirity Council to make it inclusive of the views of conflict affected countries.
For more international cooperation rooted in humane solidarity and collective and shared peace to address the global challenges the world is facing.
On the developed and industrialized nations to assist conflict affected and poor countries in their pursuit of peace, stability, democracy and economic development including supporting the g7+’s peer learning and fragile-to-fragile cooperation
On the multilateral development banks to increase concessional and flexible support to conflict-affected countries including through debt relief, access to existing climate finacing where our countries face numerous obstacles in obtaing it and access to additional finance by conflict and fragility
For considering the needs of conflict-affected and other poor countries that bear the brunt of climate change at the COP28 and recognizing the element of resilience and peace into the climate agenda.
International partners to engage with the g7+ through its secretariat in the creation of new advisory mechanism to properly design, engage in, support and evaluate the effectiveness of government-led country platforms.
Support the g7+ secretariat presence in New York to ensure coordination among members and optimaize the use of observer status through increasing the visibility of g7+ in related discourse at the UN.
Support Sierra Leone in its role as the non-permanent member of the UN Secuirity Council to share the collective perspective of the g7+.
Convene during the 79th UN General Assembly to review progress and agree on strategic priorities.
The government and people of Timor-Leste for its continuous support to the g7+ secretariat and emphasize the need for all members to take part in sharing the financial cost of g7+ operations.
The government of Finland for its grant support to the g7+, the g7+ foundation for its assistance to the secretariat, the government of Portugal for hosting the hub of g7+ secretariat and other organizations for their contribution.