Countless challenges, such as conflicts, economic recession, hunger, and climate change, are weighing on people's lives in many countries. In their recent meeting in Pescara, Italy, Ministers responsible for Development from the Group of Seven (G7) expressed concern about the crisis holding back progress towards the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and called for global efforts to find solutions to address these problems.
The tense situation in the Middle East - a hot issue at many multilateral conferences and forums – was placed on the agenda of the G7 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Pescara.
In the context of tens of thousands of innocent lives have been lost in the conflicts in the Gaza Strip, the G7 Ministers reiterate their call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in the flow of humanitarian assistance, and an end to the conflict.
They stressed the absolute need for the civilian population to be protected and that there must be full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access as a matter of absolute priority.
While expressing concern about the situation in Lebanon, the G7 ministers recalled the need to cease hostilities as soon as possible to create space for a diplomatic solution.
They were also committed to providing humanitarian assistance to address the urgent needs of civilians in Lebanon, as well as reinforce their support to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Chairing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Antonio Tajani highlighted the importance of dialogue to address global challenges.
“Peace is a concrete interest – it is a precondition for the growth of our partner countries and our economies, for the benefit of all our peoples,” he stated.
The worsening food insecurity in the world was also an issue of special concern to the G7 Ministers.
At the meeting, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, spoke about the increasing hunger in Africa and urged increased funding for countries struggling with alarming levels of food insecurity.
He stressed that the G7 needs to cooperate closely with the African Union (AU) and countries in the region on this issue.
The G7 affirmed its support for African partners to foster inclusive and sustainable agricultural and food systems transformation.
The Ministers highlighted the contents of the G7 Apulia Food Systems Initiative (AFSI), launched at the G7 Summit last June, to overcome structural barriers to food security and nutrition.
Emphasising the importance of accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on ensuring healthy lives for people, the G7 Ministers reaffirmed their commitments to support universal health coverage (UHC), strengthening health systems and investing in education, employment and retention of a skilled health workforce. According to the leaders, these are the foundations for ensuring global health security.
They also affirmed their support for relevant United Nations agencies in preventing, preparing for and responding to future health emergencies.
Investing in sustainable infrastructure, which plays an important role in achieving the SDGs, was also highlighted at the meeting.
Accordingly, the Ministers agreed to continue strengthening the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) to realise the overarching goal of mobilising up to USD 600 billion in public and private investments in partner countries.
The PGII offers a framework they will use to globally promote their vision of sustainable, climate-neutral, inclusive, resilient, and economically viable quality infrastructure underpinned by transparent project selection, procurement, and finance.
Although PGII has a global focus, it commits to focusing on regions and sectors where infrastructure investment has the greatest impact, including the African continent and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
The communique of the Pescara meeting reaffirmed the G7 ministers’ commitment to promote and urgently accelerate sustainable, just and inclusive development globally, in line with their commitment to the 2030 Agenda.
“To achieve these goals, we must work together. The G7 will continue to build strong, equal partnerships based on respect as the basis for development cooperation. We will listen to the needs of our partners, value and promote local leadership and expertise, and identify shared priorities in support of long-term sustainable development,” it stated.
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