WT/L/1066  
 
18 July 2019  
(19-4772) Page: 1/20 
 Original: English  
 
G20 JAPAN 2019 OUTCO ME DOCUMENTS  
The following communication, dated 16 July 2019, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Japan.  
_______________  
 
I. G20 OSAKA LEADERS' D ECLARATION  
PREAMBLE  
1. We, the Leaders of the G20, met in Osaka, Japan on 28 -29 June 2019 to make united efforts 
to address major global economic challenges. We will work together to foster global economic 
growth, while harnessing the power of technological innovation, in particular digitalization, and its 
application f or the benefit of all.  
2. Building on work done by previous presidencies, we will strive to create a virtuous cycle of 
growth by addressing inequalities and realize a society where all individuals can make use of their 
full potential. We are resolved to bu ild a society capable of seizing opportunities, and tackling 
economic, social and environmental challenges, presented today and in the future, including those 
of demographic change.  
3. We will further lead efforts to foster development and address other gl obal challenges to pave 
the way toward an inclusive and sustainable world, as envisioned in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable 
Development.  
GLOBAL ECONOMY  
4. Global growth appears to be stabilizing, and is generally projected to pick up moderately later 
this year and into 2020. This recovery is supported by the continuation of accommodative financial 
conditions and stimulus measures taking effect in some countries. However, growth remains low 
and risks remain tilted to the downside. Most importantly, trade an d geopolitical tensions have 
intensified. We will continue to address these risks, and stand ready to take further action.  
5. We reaffirm our commitment to use all policy tools to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced 
and inclusive growth, and safeguard ag ainst downside risks, by stepping up our dialogue and actions 
to enhance confidence. Fiscal policy should be flexible and growth -friendly while rebuilding buffers 
where needed and ensuring debt as a share of GDP is on a sustainable path. Monetary policy wi ll 
continue to support economic activity and ensure price stability, consistent with central banks' 
mandates. Central bank decisions need to remain well communicated. Continued implementation of 
structural reforms will enhance our growth potential. We also  reaffirm the exchange rate 
commitments made by our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in March 2018.  
6. Global current account imbalances have narrowed in the aftermath of the global financial 
crisis, notably in emerging and developing economies  and they have become increasingly 
concentrated in advanced economies. However, they remain large and persistent, and stock 
positions continue to diverge. In assessing external balances, we note the importance of monitoring 
all components of the current ac count, including services trade and income balances. In the spirit of 
enhancing cooperation, we affirm that carefully calibrated macroeconomic and structural policies WT/L/1066  
 
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  tailored to country -specific circumstances are necessary to address excessive imbalances and 
mitigate the risks to achieving the G20 goal of strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.  
7. Demographic changes, including population aging, pose challenges and opportunities for all 
G20 members, and these changes will require policy actions  that span fiscal, monetary, financial, 
labour market and other structural policies. To strengthen financial inclusion in the aging society, 
we endorse the G20 Fukuoka Policy Priorities on Aging and Financial Inclusion.  
FOSTERING ROBUST GLO BAL ECONOMIC GRO WTH  
Trade and Investment  
8. We welcome the G20 Ministerial Statement on Trade and Digital Economy in Tsukuba. We 
strive to realize a free, fair, non -discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and 
investment environment, and to keep our markets open. International trade  and investment are 
important engines of growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and development. We reaffirm 
our support for the necessary reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to improve its functions. 
We will work constructively with other  WTO Members , including in the lead up to the 12th WTO 
Ministerial Conference. We agree that action is necessary regarding the functioning of the dispute 
settlement system consistent with the rules as negotiated by WTO Members . Furthermore, we 
recognize th e complementary roles of bilateral and regional free trade agreements that are 
WTO-consistent. We will work to ensure a level playing field to foster an enabling business 
environment.  
Excess Capacity  
9. While we note the progress made so far by the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity 
(GFSEC), we ask relevant Ministers of the Members  of the GFSEC to explore and reach a consensus 
by fall 2019 on ways to further the work of the Forum.  
Innovation: Digitalization, Data Free Flow with Trust  
10. Innovation is an  important driver for economic growth, which can also contribute to advancing 
towards the SDGs and enhancing inclusiveness. We will work toward achieving an inclusive, 
sustainable, safe, trustworthy and innovative society through digitalization and promoti ng the 
application of emerging technologies. We share the notion of a human -centred  future society, which 
is being promoted by Japan as Society 5.0. As digitalization is transforming every aspect of our 
economies and societies, we recognize the critical ro le played by effective use of data, as an enabler 
of economic growth, development and social well -being. We aim to promote international policy 
discussions to harness the full potential of data.  
11. Cross -border flow of data, information, ideas and knowled ge generates higher productivity, 
greater innovation, and improved sustainable development, while raising challenges related to 
privacy, data protection, intellectual property rights, and security. By continuing to address these 
challenges, we can further facilitate data free flow and strengthen consumer and business trust. In 
this respect, it is necessary that legal frameworks, both domestic and international, should be 
respected. Such data free flow with trust will harness the opportunities of the digital  economy. We 
will cooperate to encourage the interoperability of different frameworks, and we affirm the role of 
data for development. We also reaffirm the importance of interface between trade and digital 
economy, and note the ongoing discussion under the  Joint Statement Initiative on electronic 
commerce, and reaffirm the importance of the Work Programme on electronic commerce at the 
WTO.  
12. To further promote innovation in the digital economy, we support the sharing of good practices 
on effective policy and regulatory approaches and frameworks that are innovative as well as agile, 
flexible, and adapted to the digital era, including through the use of regulatory sandboxes. The 
responsible development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a driving  force to help advance 
the SDGs and to realize a sustainable and inclusive society. To foster public trust and confidence in 
AI technologies and fully realize their potential, we commit to a human -centred  approach to AI, and 
welcome the non -binding G20 AI Principles, drawn from the Organization for Economic Cooperation 
and Development (OECD) Recommendation on AI. Further, we recognize the growing importance of WT/L/1066  
 
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  promoting security in the digital economy and of addressing security gaps and vulnerabilities. We 
affirm the importance of protection of intellectual property. Along with the rapid expansion of 
emerging technologies including the Internet of Things (IoT), the value of an ongoing discussion on 
security in the digital economy is growing. We, as G20 membe rs, affirm the need to further work on 
these urgent challenges. We reaffirm the importance of bridging the digital divide and fostering the 
adoption of digitalization among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and all individuals, 
particularly vulne rable groups and also encourage networking and experience -sharing among cities 
for the development of smart cities.  
Quality Infrastructure Investment  
13. Infrastructure is a driver of economic growth and prosperity. We  endorse the G20 Principles 
for Quality Infrastructure Investment as our common strategic direction and high aspiration. These 
emphasize that quality infrastructure is an essential part of the G20's ongoing efforts to close the 
infrastructure gap, in accordance with the Roadmap to Infras tructure as an Asset Class. We stress 
the importance of maximizing the positive impact of infrastructure to achieve sustainable growth 
and development while preserving the sustainability of public finances, raising economic efficiency 
in view of life -cycle cost, integrating environmental and social considerations, including women's 
economic empowerment, building resilience against natural disasters and other risks, and 
strengthening infrastructure governance. We look forward to continuing advancing the elem ents to 
develop infrastructure as an asset class, including by exploring possible indicators on quality 
infrastructure investment.  
GLOBAL FINANCE  
14. We reaffirm our commitment to further strengthening the global financial safety net with a 
strong, quota -based, and adequately resourced International Monetary Fund (IMF) at its centre . We 
remain committed to concluding the 15th General Review of Quotas no later than the 2019 Annual 
Meetings, and call on the IMF to expedite its work on IMF resources and govern ance reform as a 
matter of the highest priority. We support the progress made on work to follow up the Eminent 
Persons Group (EPG) proposals, including on country platforms, and efforts by the World Bank Group 
(WBG) to enhance risk insurance in development  finance. We welcome the work undertaken by the 
international organizations on capital flows. The OECD has completed a review of its Code of 
Liberalization of Capital Movements. We will continue our work on the EPG's proposals, recognizing 
their multi -year nature.  
15. We reiterate the importance of joint efforts undertaken by both borrowers and creditors, 
official and private, to improve debt transparency and secure debt sustainability. We call on the IMF 
and WBG to continue their efforts to strengthen borr owers' capacity in the areas of debt recording, 
monitoring, and reporting, debt management, public financial management, and domestic resource 
mobilization, including under their multi -pronged approach. In the context of the review of the Debt 
Limits Polic y and Non -Concessional Borrowing Policy, we encourage the IMF and WBG to continue 
their efforts to deepen their analysis of collateralized financing practices. We welcome the completion 
of the voluntary self -assessment of the implementation of the G20 Oper ational Guidelines for 
Sustainable Financing and the IMF -WBG note on the survey results and policy recommendation. We 
applaud G20 and non -G20 members who completed the survey and call for continued discussion of 
the issues highlighted by this note, aiming to improve financing practices. We support the work of 
the Institute of International Finance on the Voluntary Principles for Debt Transparency to improve 
debt transparency and sustainability of private financing and look forward to follow up. We support 
the ongoing work of the Paris Club, as the principal international forum for restructuring official 
bilateral debt, towards the broader engagement of emerging creditors and welcome India associating 
voluntarily with the Paris Club to cooperate in its work o n a case -by-case basis.  
16. We will continue our cooperation for a globally fair, sustainable, and modern international tax 
system, and welcome international cooperation to advance pro -growth tax policies. We reaffirm the 
importance of the worldwide implem entation of the G20/OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting 
(BEPS) package and enhanced tax certainty. We welcome the recent progress on addressing the tax 
challenges arising from digitalization and endorse the ambitious work program that consists of a 
two-pillar approach, developed by the Inclusive Framework on BEPS. We will redouble our efforts 
for a consensus -based solution with a final report by 2020. We welcome the recent achievements 
on tax transparency, including the progress on automatic exchange of i nformation for tax purposes. 
We also welcome an updated list of jurisdictions that have not satisfactorily implemented the WT/L/1066  
 
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  internationally agreed tax transparency standards. We look forward to a further update by the OECD 
of the list that takes into accoun t all of the strengthened criteria. Defensive measures will be 
considered against listed jurisdictions. The 2015 OECD report inventories available measures in this 
regard. We call on all jurisdictions to sign and ratify the multilateral Convention on Mutua l 
Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. We reiterate our support for tax capacity building in 
developing countries.  
17. Technological innovations can deliver significant benefits to the financial system and the 
broader economy. While crypto -assets do n ot pose a threat to global financial stability at this point, 
we are closely monitoring developments and remain vigilant to existing and emerging risks. We 
welcome on -going work by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and other standard setting bodies and 
ask them to advise on additional multilateral responses as needed. We reaffirm our commitment to 
applying the recently amended FATF Standards to virtual assets and related providers for anti -money 
laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. We wel come the adoption of the Financial 
Action Task Force (FATF) Interpretive Note and Guidance. We also welcome the FSB's work on the 
possible implications of decentralized financial technologies and how regulators can engage other 
stakeholders. We also contin ue to step up efforts to enhance cyber resilience.  
18. We welcome the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2462, which stresses the essential 
role of the FATF in setting global standards for preventing and combatting money laundering, 
terrorist finan cing and proliferation financing. We reiterate our strong commitment to step up efforts 
to fight these threats, including by strengthening the FATF's global network of regional bodies. We 
call for the full, effective and swift implementation of the FATF St andards.  
19. An open and resilient financial system, grounded in agreed international standards, is crucial 
to support sustainable growth. We remain committed to the full, timely and consistent 
implementation of the agreed financial reforms. We ask the FS B to continue to evaluate their effects. 
We will continue to monitor and, as necessary, address vulnerabilities and emerging risks to financial 
stability, including with macroprudential tools. While non -bank financing provides welcome diversity 
to the fina ncial system, we will continue to identify, monitor and address related financial stability 
risks as appropriate. We welcome the work on market fragmentation, and will address its 
unintended, negative effects, including through regulatory and supervisory c ooperation. We continue 
to monitor and address the causes and consequences of the withdrawal of correspondent banking 
relationships. Mobilizing sustainable finance and strengthening financial inclusion are important for 
global growth. We welcome private se ctor participation and transparency in these areas.  
ANTI -CORRUPTION  
20. We remain committed to play a leading role in the global efforts to prevent and fight against 
corruption, as well as promoting integrity, by implementing the G20 Anti -Corruption Action Plan 
2019-2021 while strengthening synergies among related internationa l instruments and mechanisms. 
Recognizing that countering corruption is an important requisite for ensuring quality and reliability 
of infrastructure, we welcome the Compendium of Good Practices for Promoting Integrity and 
Transparency in Infrastructure De velopment as part of our further work. We endorse the High Level 
Principles for Effective Protection of Whistleblowers. We renew our commitment to pursuing high 
level international cooperation between G20 members in the fight against corruption and to lead  by 
example through the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, 
including its review process. We will intensify our efforts to combat foreign bribery and to ensure 
that each G20 country has a national law in force for criminalizing foreign bribery as soon as possible. 
We take note of the efforts towards adherence to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of 
Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. We will continue practical cooperation 
to fight  corruption and reaffirm our commitment to deny safe haven to persons sought for corruption 
and their proceeds of corruption consistent with our G20 and international commitments and our 
domestic legal systems and will work more closely on asset recovery c ooperation. We look forward 
to the scoping paper on international cooperation dealing with serious economic offenders and 
recovery of stolen assets in relation to corruption to be prepared by relevant international 
organizations. In addition, we also welco me the work on the linkages between corruption and gender 
being undertaken by relevant international organizations.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  CREATING A VIRTUOUS CYCLE OF GROWTH BY A DDRESSING INEQUALITI ES 
Labour and Employment  
21. Population ageing is progressing in G20 members at  different rates. Taking into account the 
commonalities and differences among G20 demographics, we recognize the importance of promoting 
a healthy  and active ageing society that enables workers to participate in the labour market at older 
ages, while conti nuing to increase participation of youth, women and persons with disabilities in 
economic activities. We will boost job creation and flexible work arrangements, seek to raise quality 
of employment and enhance employability of workers through lifelong learn ing as working lives are 
expected to be longer, and strive towards improving the working conditions for all including, 
long-term care workers in accordance with national circumstances. We will also continue to promote 
employment opportunities for and emplo yability of the young population. We ask Ministers of Labour 
and Employment to identify possible policy priorities for adapting to demographic trends when they 
meet in Matsuyama in September. We recognize that emerging new forms of work, particularly those  
driven by technological innovation can be a source of job opportunities but may also pose challenges 
for decent work and social protection systems. We encourage Labour and Employment Ministers to 
further exchange experiences and good practices as we endea vour to develop adequate policy 
responses to these new forms of work, taking into account the view of the private sector. We remain 
committed to promote decent work and reaffirm our commitment to take actions to eradicate child 
labour, forced labour, human  trafficking and modern slavery in the world of work, including through 
fostering sustainable global supply chains.  
Women's Empowerment  
22. Gender equality and women's empowerment are essential for achieving sustainable and 
inclusive economic growth. We re confirm their importance in all aspects of our policies and as a 
cross-cutting issue at upcoming Summits. We note that further progress has been made towards 
the Brisbane Goal, to reduce the gap in labour force participation between men and women by 25% 
by 2025. We take note of the progress report Women at Work in G20 Countries prepared by the 
International Labour Organization (ILO) and OECD, and acknowledge the need to accelerate our 
efforts. Building on the continued efforts by Labour and Employment Minis ters, we will exchange our 
respective progress and actions taken in the G20 towards the Brisbane Goal, including the quality 
of women's employment, on the basis of the annual report. We will also address the gender gap in 
unpaid care work which remains a m ajor obstacle to women's participation in the labour market. We 
commit to take further action to improve the quality of women's employment, reduce gender pay 
gaps, and end all forms of discrimination against women and combat stereotypes and to recognize 
women as agents of peace, and in the prevention and resolution of conflict.  
23. We commit to continue support for girls' and women's education and training, including 
providing quality primary and secondary education, improved access to STEM (Science, Techn ology, 
Engineering and Mathematics) education and raising awareness toward eliminating gender 
stereotypes. In order to close the digital gender gap, we will continue enhancing girls' and women's 
access to digital technology with a focus on the needs of tho se in poverty and rural areas. We 
reaffirm the importance of taking measures to eradicate all gender -based violence, abuse and 
harassment, including in the digital context. We welcome efforts, particularly by the private sector, 
to promote women's access t o managerial and decision making positions and foster women business 
leaders and entrepreneurship. We reaffirm the importance of taking measures to support skills 
development and provide access to funding to promote women's entrepreneurship and welcome the  
continued implementation of the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We -Fi) in support of 
women's entrepreneurship in developing countries including in Africa. We recognize the importance 
of encouraging efforts by the private sector including by acknow ledging companies that are taking 
measures to increase the number of women in management and decision making positions and 
making gender responsive investments. We welcome the launch of the private sector alliance for the 
"Empowerment and Progression of Wo men's Economic Representation (EMPOWER) " and call upon 
the alliance to advocate for the advancement of women in the private sector, and we will take stock 
of their progress and share their concrete efforts at our upcoming Summits.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  Tourism  
24. Tourism acco unts for a significant share of the world's GDP and is expected to continue to be 
an important driver of global economic growth. We will work to maximize the sector's contribution 
to the creation of quality jobs and entrepreneurship, especially for women a nd youth and in the 
creative industry; economic resilience and recovery; the preservation of natural resources through 
sustainable tourism planning and management; and the achievement of inclusive and sustainable 
development.  
Agriculture  
25. In order to achieve food security and improve nutrition for the growing world population, 
agricultural productivity needs to increase and distribution needs to be more efficient, including by 
reducing food loss and waste, in a way more compatible with the sustainable management of natural 
resources. To this end, we highlight the importance of access to and utilization of existing, new and 
advanced technologies, such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Artificial 
Intelligence (AI) and robotics  among others, and encourage cross -sectoral collaboration among 
stakeholders. We also encourage innovation, skills training and lifelong education for all, in attracting 
new entrants and empowering youth and women in the agro -food sector. We recognize the 
importance of developing sustainable, science -based and resilient agro -food value chains, in an 
inclusive and equitable manner, including family farming and small scale farmers, which will also 
contribute to revitalizing rural areas. We emphasize the need for continued and enhanced 
information sharing and research collaboration to respond to existing and emerging animal and plant 
health issues. We will further encourage voluntary exchange of good practices and knowledge 
towards more sustainable agro -food se ctor. 
REALIZING AN INCLUSI VE AND SUSTAINABLE W ORLD  
Development  
26. With a view to the United Nations High Level Political Forum and High -level Dialogue on 
Financing for Development in September, we remain resolved to playing a leading role in contributing 
to the timely implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa 
Action Agenda. We recognize that international public and private finance for development as well 
as other innovative financing mechanisms, including blended fi nance, can play an important role in 
upscaling our collective efforts. Building on the G20's Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable 
Development, the Osaka Update underscores the G20's collective and concrete actions contributing 
to the implementati on of the 2030 Agenda and helping to ensure that "no one is left behind". We 
welcome the Osaka Comprehensive Accountability Report.  
27. We support developing countries in their efforts to advance progress towards the timely 
implementation of the SDGs in su ch areas as poverty eradication, quality infrastructure investment, 
gender equality, health, education, agriculture, environment, energy, and industrialization, using all 
means of implementation, such as the mobilization of private sector resources and cap acity building 
assistance. We reiterate our continued support to the G20 Africa partnership, including the Compact 
with Africa (CwA), with strengthened bilateral engagement by G20 members and enhanced roles for 
WBG, African Development Bank, and IMF in imp lementing the CwA, and G20 initiative on supporting 
the industrialization of Africa  and other relevant initiatives that contribute to the realization of the 
African vision as set out in the African Union's Agenda 2063. We remain committed to address illici t 
financial flows and will take stock at future Summits.  
28. We reaffirm our commitment to invest in human capital and promote inclusive and equitable 
quality education for all as emphasized in the G20 Initiative on Human Capital Investment for 
Sustainable  Development. Recognizing the importance of science, technology and innovation (STI) 
for SDGs, we endorse the Guiding Principles for the Development of STI for SDGs Roadmaps. We 
recognize the importance of further efforts on North -South, South -South and tr iangular co -operation 
as well as disaster risk reduction including disaster risk financing and insurance schemes as a means 
to promote financial resilience against natural disasters.  
29. We will continue our work towards achieving a successful 19th repleni shment of the 
International Development Association, as well as a 15th replenishment of the African Development WT/L/1066  
 
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  Fund. We call for full and timely implementation of the capital increase package of the International 
Bank for Reconstruction and Development an d the International Finance Corporation in view of their 
expanded roles.  
Global Health  
30. Health is a prerequisite for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. We recall our 
commitment to moving towards achieving universal health coverage according to national contexts 
and priorities. We look forward to the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on 
Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Primary health care including access to medicines, vaccination, 
nutrition, water and sanitation, health promotio n and disease prevention is a cornerstone for 
advancing health and inclusion. We will strengthen health systems with a focus on quality including 
through enhancing health workforce and human resources for policy development and promoting 
public and private  sector innovation, such as cost -effective and appropriate digital and other 
innovative technologies. Recognizing the importance of sustainable financing for health, we will call 
for greater collaboration between health and finance authorities in accordanc e with the G20 Shared 
Understanding on the Importance of UHC Financing in Developing Countries, to which our 
commitment was affirmed by our Finance and Health Ministers at their Joint Session. We encourage 
international organizations and all stakeholders t o collaborate effectively and we look forward to the 
upcoming presentation of the  global action plan for healthy lives and well -being for all.  
31. We will promote healthy and active ageing through policy measures to address health 
promotion, prevention and  control of communicable and non -communicable diseases, and through 
people -centred , multi -sectoral, community -based integrated health and long -term care over the life 
course in accordance with national context including demographic trends. We will implemen t 
comprehensive set of policies to address dementia, including promoting risk reduction and 
sustainable provision of long -term care as well as inclusive societies aiming to improve quality of 
lives of people with dementia and caregivers.  
32. We are commit ted to improving public health preparedness and response including 
strengthening our own core capacities and supporting capacities of other countries in compliance 
with the World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations (2005). We will su pport 
countries suffering from the current Ebola outbreak in Africa, through both timely financial and 
technical assistance and in line with the central coordination responsibility that WHO has for 
international responses to health emergencies. We will wor k for the sustainability and efficiency of 
global health emergency financing mechanisms. We reaffirm our commitment to eradicate polio as 
well as to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and look forward to the success of 
the sixth replenishm ent of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.  
33. We will accelerate efforts based on the One -Health approach to tackle antimicrobial resistance 
(AMR). Recognizing the UN Secretary -General's report on AMR, which was informed by the 
recom mendations of the UN Interagency Coordination Group on AMR and other relevant initiatives, 
we encourage all stakeholders including international organizations to act and coordinate on those 
items relevant to their missions that contribute to global efforts  to combat AMR. We recognize the 
need for policy measures for infection prevention and reduction of excessive antimicrobial usage. 
Further action should be taken to promote stewardship of and access to antimicrobials. Noting the 
ongoing work done by Global  AMR R&D Hub, we will promote R&D to tackle AMR. We call on 
interested G20 members and Global AMR R&D Hub to analyze push and pull mechanisms to identify 
best models for AMR R&D and to report back to relevant G20 Ministers.  
Global Environmental Issues and Challenges  
34. Noting the important work of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and 
Intergovernmental Science -policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sources (IPBES), and in 
the light of recent extreme weather events and disasters, we re cognize the urgent need for 
addressing complex and pressing global issues and challenges, including climate change, resource 
efficiency, air, land, fresh water and marine pollution, including marine plastic litter, biodiversity 
loss, sustainable consumptio n and production, urban environmental quality and other environmental 
issues, and for promoting and leading energy transitions, with the best available science, while 
promoting sustainable growth. A paradigm shift is needed where the virtuous cycle of envi ronment 
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  role, in synergy with the public sector. To this end we stress the importance of accelerating the 
virtuous cycle and leading transformations to a resi lient, inclusive, and sustainable future. We 
emphasize the importance of taking concrete and practical actions and collecting international best 
practices and wisdom from around the world, mobilizing public and private finance, technology and 
investment an d improving business environments.  
Climate Change  
35. To this end, we strive to foster inclusive finance for sustainable development, including public 
and private financing mobilization and alignment between them, as well as innovation in a wide 
range of areas for low emissions and resilient development. Climate actions at all levels with broad 
participation, including by non -state actors, will be the key to realizing such a paradigm shift. In 
further enhancing this effort, as appropriate to each country's  circumstances, we will look into a 
wide range of clean technologies and approaches, including smart cities, ecosystem and community  
based approaches, nature based solutions and traditional and indigenous knowledge. We need to 
enhance efforts to support ac tions and cooperation in adaptation and disaster risk reduction, in 
particular, for the most vulnerable communities, and to elaborate further and foster coherence 
between mitigation action, adaptation measures, environmental protection, and resilient 
infrastructure. We note the successful adoption of the implementation guidelines for the Paris 
Agreement and the completion of the stocktaking of the Talanoa Dialogue at the United Nations 
Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (UNFCCC COP ) 24 and the 
outcomes of the meeting of G20 energy and environment ministers in Karuizawa, subsequent to the 
successful G20 Buenos Aires Summit. We are determined to make best use of this momentum, and 
thus look forward to a successful Climate Action Summi t of the UN Secretary -General and concrete 
outcomes at UNFCCC COP 25 in Santiago, Chile. Signatories to the Paris Agreement who confirmed 
at Buenos Aires its irreversibility and are determined to implement it, reaffirm their commitment to 
its full implemen tation, reflecting common but differentiated responsibilities and respective 
capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances. By 2020 we aim to communicate, update 
or maintain our NDCs, taking into account that further global efforts are nee ded. We emphasize the 
importance of providing financial resources to assist developing countries with respect to both 
mitigation and adaptation in accordance with the Paris Agreement.  
36. The United States reiterates its decision to withdraw from the Paris  Agreement because it 
disadvantages American workers and taxpayers. The US reaffirms its strong commitment to 
promoting economic growth, energy security and access, and environmental protection. The US's 
balanced approach to energy and environment allows f or the delivery of affordable, reliable, and 
secure energy to all its citizens while utilizing all energy sources and technologies, including clean 
and advanced fossil fuels and technologies, renewables, and civil nuclear power, while also reducing 
emissio ns and promoting economic growth. The United States is a world leader in reducing 
emissions. US energy -related CO2 emissions fell by 14% between 2005 and 2017 even as its 
economy grew by 19.4% largely due to the development and deployment of innovative ene rgy 
technologies. The United States remains committed to the development and deployment of advanced 
technologies to continue to reduce emissions and provide for a cleaner environment.  
Energy  
37. We acknowledge the importance of energy transitions that rea lize the "3E+S" (Energy 
Security, Economic Efficiency, and Environment + Safety) in order to transform our energy systems 
into affordable, reliable, sustainable and low GHG emissions systems as soon as possible, recognizing 
that there are different possibl e national paths to achieve this goal. Recalling the G20 Ministerial 
Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth Communique, we 
acknowledge the role of all energy sources and technologies in the energy mix and different poss ible 
national paths to achieve cleaner energy systems. We also recognize opportunities offered by further 
development of innovative, clean and efficient technologies for energy transitions, including 
hydrogen as well as, depending on national circumstances , the Carbon Capture, Utilization and 
Storage (CCUS) taking note of work on "Carbon Recycling" and "Emissions to Value". We 
acknowledge the G20 Japanese Presidency's initiative called Research and Development 20 for clean 
energy technologies (RD20). In lig ht of recent events highlighting concern about safe flow of energy, 
we acknowledge the importance of global energy security as one of the guiding principles for the 
transformation of energy systems, including resilience, safety and development of infrastru cture and 
undisrupted flow of energy from various sources, suppliers, and routes. We recognize the value of 
international cooperation on a wide range of energy -related issues including energy access, WT/L/1066  
 
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  affordability and energy efficiency, and energy storage.  We reaffirm our joint commitment on 
medium term rationalization and phasing -out of Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies that encourage 
wasteful consumption, while providing targeted support for the poorest.  
Environment  
38. We recognize that improving resourc e efficiency through policies and approaches, such as 
circular economy, sustainable materials management, the 3Rs  (reduce, reuse, recycle) and waste 
to value, contributes to the SDGs, as well as to addressing a wide range of environmental challenges, 
enhan cing competitiveness and economic growth, managing resources sustainably, and creating 
jobs. We encourage work with the private sector towards innovation in the cooling sector. We will 
also work with stakeholders in order to increase the demand for recycle d products. We look forward 
to the development of a roadmap of the G20 Resource Efficiency Dialogue under the Japanese 
Presidency.  
39. We reiterate that measures to address marine litter, especially marine plastic litter and 
microplastics, need to be take n nationally and internationally by all countries in partnership with 
relevant stakeholders. In this regard, we are determined to swiftly take appropriate national actions 
for the prevention and significant reduction of discharges of plastic litter and mic roplastics to the 
oceans. Furthermore, looking ahead beyond those initiatives and existing actions by each member, 
we share, and call on other Members  of the international community to also share, as a common 
global vision, the "Osaka Blue Ocean Vision" th at we aim to reduce additional pollution by marine 
plastic litter to zero by 2050 through a comprehensive life -cycle approach that includes reducing the 
discharge of mismanaged plastic litter by improved waste management and innovative solutions 
while reco gnizing the important role of plastics for society. We also endorse the G20 Implementation 
Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter.  
40. As illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains in many parts of the world a 
serious threat to the sustainability of the ocean, we recognize the importance of addressing IUU 
fishing for ensuring the sustainable use of marine resources and conserving the marine environment 
including biodiversity, and reaffirm our commitment to end IUU fishing.  
Displacem ent and Migration  
41. We note the 2019 Annual International Migration and Displacement Trends and Policies Report 
to the G20 prepared by the OECD in cooperation with ILO, International Organization for Migration 
(IOM) and United Nations High Commissioner f or Refugees (UNHCR). We will continue the dialogue 
on the various dimensions of these issues in the G20.  
42. Large movements of refugees are a global concern with humanitarian, political, social and 
economic consequences. We emphasize the importance of sha red actions to address the root causes 
of displacement and to respond to growing humanitarian needs.  
43. We thank Japan for its Presidency and for hosting a successful Osaka Summit and its 
contribution to the G20 process, and we look forward to meeting aga in in Saudi Arabia in 2020, in 
Italy in 2021 and in India in 2022.  
_______________  
  WT/L/1066  
 
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  II. G20 MINISTERIAL STAT EMENT ON TRADE AND D IGITAL ECONOMY  
1. We, the G20 Trade Ministers and Digital Economy Ministers, met on 8 and 9 June 2019 in 
Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Hiroshige Seko, Minister 
of Economy, Trade and Industry , H.E. Mr. Masatoshi Ishida, Minister for Internal Affairs and 
Communications, and H.E. Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, of the Government of Japan,  
to further strengthen G20 trade and digital economic policy cooperation.  
2. The G20 Ministerial Meeting on Trade and Digital Economy ga thered all G20 members as well 
as guests from Chile as 2019 APEC host economy, Egypt on behalf of AU, Estonia (for Digital 
Economy), Netherlands, Nigeria (for Trade), Senegal on behalf of NEPAD, Singapore, Spain, and 
Viet Nam. International Organizations1 also participated in the Meeting.  
3. We discussed the need to do more to achieve our common objectives for global growth. 
International trade and investment should continue to be important engines of growth, productivity, 
innovation, job creation and develop ment.  
4. Innovative digital technologies continue to bring immense economic opportunities. At the 
same time, they continue to create challenges.  
5. This Meeting, which gathered both Trade Ministers and Digital Economy Ministers together for 
the first time, pre sented an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the interface between trade 
and the digital economy.  
6. We discussed how we can work together toward the realization of a sustainable and innovative 
global society, by making full use of digital technologi es, together with trade and investment, and 
harnessing the benefits of technological transformation and globalization, taking into consideration 
national needs, priorities and circumstances.  
1   DIGITAL ECONOMY  
1.  Overview: Human -centred  Future Society  
7. We, G 20 Ministers for the Digital Economy discussed how we can design and implement our 
digital policies to maximize benefits and minimize the challenges from the development of the digital 
economy, and to overcome challenges  with special attention to developin g countries and 
underrepresented populations . 
8. The G20 started the policy discussion on the digital economy under the Chinese Presidency in 
the Hangzhou Summit process in 2016, in which G20 members engaged in comprehensive discussion  
on digital economy, inn ovation and new industrial revolution. Germany established the first G20 
Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting and created an overall perspective on digital policy with the G20 
Roadmap on Digital Economy and the Ministerial Declaration. In 2018, Argentina fo cused on digital 
government, the digital gender divide, infrastructure deployment and the measurement of the digital 
economy, in addition to creating the G20 Repository of Digital Policies. The Digital Economy Ministers 
issued a declaration, which noted th at it is essential to continue the work on further understanding 
of the market impact of emerging technologies and new business models, like online platforms and 
the need to advance a fair, predictable, transparent, competitive and non -discriminatory busin ess 
environment.  
9. Recalling these discussions, we exchanged views on how to achieve an inclusive, sustainable, 
safe, trustworthy and innovative society through digitalization. We share the notion of a 
human -centred  future society which is being promoted as Society 5.0 in Japan. Society 5.0 is a 
vision of human -centred  future society promoted by the Japanese government to achieve an 
advanced society, which realizes economic growth and solves social challenges, by advancing 
towards Sustainable Development Goal s (SDGs) through the increasing convergence of the physical 
world and the virtual world.  
                                                
1 International Organizations: APT (for Digital Economy), ERIA, IMF, ITC (for Trade), ITU (for Digital 
Economy), OECD, UNCTAD, World Bank, and WTO.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  10. Digitalization is expected to continue creating benefits for our economies and societies as a 
whole . The benefits brought by increased productivity through the use of emerging technologies 
such as artificial intelligence (AI), fifth -generation mobile telecommunication technologies (5G), the 
Internet of Things (IoT), Distributed Ledger Technologies (e.g. block chain) will empower all 
individuals and firms by creating new  opportunities, and generate new services and employment, all 
of which can lead to greater well -being and further inclusiveness for individuals and firms.  
11. While digitalization has tremendous potential to deliver benefits to society, it also raises 
certain concerns. Digital divide should be addressed with a commitment to evidence -based policy 
approaches together with the efforts to improve the measurement of the digital economy that enable 
the widest possible adoption and use of innovative technology. We sho uld come together to promote 
trust in the digital economy to harness the benefits brought by digitalization as well as to mitigate 
the associated challenges.  
12. The G20 also reaffirms its commitment to fighting exploitation of the Internet for violent 
extremi st and terrorist purposes, as well as promoting a free, open and secure internet, and 
encourages the digital industry to continue to work together with all stakeholders in fighting use of 
the Internet and social media for violent extremist and terrorist pu rposes, and addressing content 
that incites terrorist acts.  
13. We share the view that the digital society must be built on trust among all stakeholders 
including governments, civil society, international organizations, academics  and businesses through 
sharing  common values and principles including equality, justice, transparency and accountability 
taking into account the global economy and interoperability. We note the views given at the G20 
Digital Economy Multi -stakeholder Conference, and look forward to the  multi-stakeholders discussion 
at the 14th United Nation's Internet Governance Forum at the end of November 2019 in Berlin and 
the WSIS Forum at the end of March 2020 in Geneva.  
14. Building upon the commitments and achievements of previous years, we, as G20 M inisters, 
commit to sharing and promoting national experiences and international policies to maximize and 
share the benefits from digitalization of our economies and societies through the following efforts.  
2.  Data Free Flow with Trust  
15. Reaffirming the com mitments made in Hangzhou, Dusseldorf, and Salta, we share the 
understanding that digitalization gives us the opportunity to promote inclusive and sustainable 
economic growth. Digitalization also promotes social and cultural progress and development, foste rs 
innovation, and empowers individuals and businesses, including micro, small, and medium -sized 
enterprises (MSMEs) to benefit from emerging technologies and data.  
16. Cross -border flow of data, information, ideas and knowledge generates higher productivity, 
greater innovation, and improved sustainable development. At the same time, we recognize that the 
free flow of data raises certain challenges. By continuing to address challenges related to privacy, 
data protection,  intellectual property rights, and securi ty, we can further facilitate data free flow an d 
strengthen consumer and business trust. In order to build trust and facilitate the free flow of data, 
it is necessary that legal frameworks both domestic and international should be respected. Such 
data free  flow with trust will harness the opportunities of the digital economy. We will cooperate to 
encourage the interoperability of different frameworks, and we affirm the role of data for 
development.  
3.  Human -centred  Artificial Intelligence (AI)  
17. Recognizing  the efforts undertaken so far by all stakeholders in their respective roles including 
governments, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector, and mindful 
of how technology impacts society, the G20 endeavours  to provide an  enabling environment for 
human -centred  AI that promotes innovation and investment, with a particular focus on digital 
entrepreneurship, research and development, scaling up of startups in this area, and adoption of AI 
by MSMEs which face disproportionally  higher costs to adopt AI.  
18. We recognize that AI technologies can help promote inclusive economic growth, bring great 
benefits to society, and empower individuals. The responsible development and use of AI can be a WT/L/1066  
 
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  driving force to help advance the SDGs and  to realize a sustainable and inclusive society, mitigating 
risks to wider societal values. The benefits brought by the responsible use of AI can improve the 
work environment and quality of life, and create potential for realizing a human -centred  future 
society with opportunities for everyone, including women and girls  as well as vulnerable groups.  
19. At the same time, we also recognize that AI, like other emerging technologies, may present 
societal challenges, including the transitions in the labour  market, p rivacy, security, ethical issues, 
new digital divides and the need for AI capacity building. To foster public trust and confidence in AI 
technologies and fully realize their potential, we are committed to a human -centred  approach to AI, 
guided by the G20 A I Principles drawn from the OECD Recommendation on AI, which are attached 
in Annex and are non -binding. This Annex includes the following principles of "inclusive growth, 
sustainable development and well -being", "human -centred  values and fairness", "transp arency and 
explainability", "robustness, security and safety" and "accountability". The Annex also offers 
guidance for consideration by policy makers with the purpose of maximizing and sharing the benefits 
from AI, while minimizing the risks and concerns, with special attention to international cooperation 
and inclusion of developing countries and underrepresented populations.  
20. In pursuing human -centred  AI, G20 members recognize the need to continue to promote the 
protection of privacy and personal data consistent with applicable frameworks. The G20 also 
recognizes the need to promote AI capacity building and skills development. We will each continue 
to strive for international cooperation and endeavour  to work together with appropriate fora in areas 
such as research and development, policy development and information sharing through the G20 
Repository of Digital Policies and other open and collaborative efforts.  
4.  Governance Innovation - Agile and Flexible Policy Approaches in the Digital Economy  
21. We recognize that harnessing the full potential of emerging technologies would benefit from 
more innovation enabling approaches to policy making than in the pa st. We will strive for 
innovation -friendly policies to capitalize the potential of digital technologies and look to remove 
barriers to innovation accordingly.  
22. We recognize that various countries have already taken steps with the intention of making 
policy  approaches more flexible, holistic, and agile, for example through the use of regulatory 
sandboxes. Policies, regulations, or the removal of regulatory barriers can contribute to and 
accelerate economic growth, and inclusive development by developing coun tries as well as MSMEs.  
23. We recognize that governance in the digital era needs to be not only innovation -friendly but 
also innovative itself, while not losing legal certainty. Interoperable standards, frameworks and 
regulatory cooperation can help in this regard. International as well as national policy formulation 
with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in their respective roles is instrumental to address 
a wide range of societal challenges and facilitate discussion on how technology can be bette r 
incorporated into policy tools.  
24. To adapt better policy approaches and guide technical innovation, we support the sharing of 
good practices between G20 countries, including by utilizing the G20 Repository of Digital Policies  
established under Argentina's  presidency. We note the work of relevant international organizations.  
5.  Security in the Digital Economy  
25. Security in the digital economy is essential for strengthening our public's confidence in digital 
technologies and the entire digital economy. We rec ognize the importance for governments and 
other stakeholders within their respective roles to address security gaps and vulnerabilities. These 
have a negative impact on digital innovations, and trust by consumers and businesses, and thus 
hinder us from tak ing full advantage of the benefits of digitalization. Security in the digital economy 
is also important for governments in providing their services.  
26. Along with the rapid expansion of emerging technologies, including IoT, the value of an 
ongoing discus sion on security in the digital economy is growing. We, as G20 members, affirm the 
need to further work on these urgent challenges.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  27. We recognize the global aspect of security in the digital economy together with the need to 
develop localized and customized  frameworks and methodologies. Industry -led and market -led 
global technical standards, developed based upon principles of openness, transparency, and 
consensus help deliver interoperability. These promote trust, which is essential for enabling the 
benefits  of the global digital economy.  
28. We recognize the need to raise awareness on the importance of actions to enhance security 
in the digital economy. We also recognize the role played by stakeholders such as private sector, 
the technical community and civil society, and relevant international organizations to further discuss 
those issues. We note relevant international organizations working on security in the digital economy 
within their existing mandates and efforts in security in the digital economy.  
6.  SDGs and Inclusion  
[Tackling the Digital Divide and Promoting Digitalization]  
Digital Infrastructure  
29. We recognize that improved connectivity and broadband access is a necessary condition for 
the development of the digital economy, as well as a powerful enabl er of inclusive growth and 
sustainable development. Therefore we support initiatives aimed at the promotion of investment in 
domestic and international digital connectivity infrastructure, including fibre optic cables, 5G and 
other ultra -high-speed connect ivity technologies, scaling -up the fibre optics infrastructure to avail 
fibre connectivity to a greater number of individuals and connectivity redundancy. We acknowledge 
the relevance of appropriate policy approaches that, while recognizing national circum stances, 
promote a pro -investment, fair, competitive, and non -discriminatory marketplace  enhance the 
accessibility, affordability, quality and security of connectivity and digital services, and increase 
access to digital economic growth. We encourage the G 20 common goal of promoting universal and 
affordable access to the Internet by all people by 2025. G20 members also encourage promoting 
connectivity in rural areas for rural prosperity with a particular focus on poverty eradication and 
distance learning.  
Digital  Literacy  
30. The digital divide recently is no longer just about access to technology, it is also about having 
the right skills and knowledge to use it. Possessing the right skills and knowledge as well as creating 
consumer oriented digital environment has a direct impact on the ability of people to reap the 
benefits of digitalization for their personal and professional life. We encourage G20 countries to 
promote digital literacy strategies with a special focus on vulnerable groups and for labour  market 
transformation.  
Bridging  the Digital Gender Divide  
31. We reconfirm the importance of bridging the digital divide in ways such as development of 
skills for digital literacy, enhancing digital access and adopting digital technologies with special 
attention to t he digital gender divide, while working towards the 25 by 25 goal that G20 members 
committed to in Brisbane, and to people who are living in remote areas as discussed in earlier DETFs 
under the German and Argentinian presidencies. With our continuous suppo rt of EQUALS and G20 
#eSkills4girls initiative, we reaffirm that the participation of women and girls in the digital economy 
supports stronger economic growth, innovation, and inclusiveness and enhances societal well -being. 
We further encourage G20 countri es to take actions to bridge the digital gender divide, including 
through the development of frameworks to measure and track sex -disaggregated data, and to make 
efforts to increase women's access to digital networks while addressing abuse and violent onlin e 
behaviour  toward women, enhance women and girls' participation in STEM (Science, Technology, 
Engineering and Mathematics), support women's entrepreneurship in digital business and work 
within existing partnerships and frameworks. Technology should be acc essible for all. The G20 could 
explore using the existing G20 Toolkit for Measuring Digital Economy to add indicators on women in 
digital.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  Inclusion of MSMEs and Entrepreneurs  
32. MSMEs  and entrepreneurs are important drivers of innovation and the digital economy. 
Facilitative environment in which MSMEs can actively take part in the digital economy, including by 
using leapfrog technologies, are helpful to create an inclusive and sustaina ble society. The G20 will 
seek to exchange and share practices on the promotion and scale up of digital entrepreneurship.  
Inclusive  Design for people at all ages /Persons with disabilities  
33. In addition to an approach where people develop additional skills to use digital technology, we 
acknowledge that digital technology, should be user -friendly and human -centred , and should be 
designed for use by a diverse group of persons, including persons with disabilities, older persons, or 
those with lower digital skil ls. For example, the use of new digital interfaces such as sensors and 
VUI (Voice User Interface) could support inclusion of persons with disabilities and older persons.  
Digital  transformation of industries  
34. Digitalization can contribute to economic growth and social development in a variety of 
sectors. Manufacturing, which is one of the most crucial industries in the global economy, is 
becoming  more digitalized, networked and intelligent. The G20 will share good practices and 
experiences regarding digital i ndustrial policy with a view to promoting high quality inclusive 
development of all sectors including manufacturing sector, and take actions to create a favourable  
environment globally.  
Smart  Cities  
35. To contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth in urba n areas where most of the world's 
population and energy consumption are concentrated, the G20 encourages networking and 
experience -sharing among cities for the development of smart cities, recommended by the 
Business  20 and the Urban 20. Implementations of  smart cities should take into account 
transparency, resiliency, privacy, security, efficiency, and interoperability. Cities and networks of 
cities that express an interest may join a Global Smart City Coalition, which has been proposed to 
be established i n October. The G20 notes the upcoming "Super City/Smart City Forum" planned to 
be held on 29th of June in Osaka.  
[Plan for action towards SDGs through digitalization]  
36. In order to share the benefits of digitalization globally to contribute to the implementa tion of 
the G20 action plan on the 2030 agenda on sustainable development and leave no one behind, we 
will endeavour  to share good practices and lessons learnt from their experiences in solving social 
problems by using the G20 Repository of Digital Policie s. 
37. We encourage all stakeholders in their respective roles to work together in facilitating 
digitalization in developing countries and regions, as well as globally, by making use of good 
practices and knowledge -sharing. For this objective, all G20 members and other interested countries 
are invited to discuss how to make use of good practices and knowledge and to set actions into 
motion to collaborate, cooperate and support the efforts for digitalization, including advance 
progress towards SDGs in developing  countries and regions. We consider that digital governance is 
an essential leverage of prosperity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability with measurable 
results. We note the work of the Development Working Group for the Guiding Principles for the 
Development of Science, Technology, and Innovation for SDGs Roadmaps. We are committed to 
capacity -building around the world as a vehicle for implementing SDGs.  
38. The knowledge sharing activity will be supported by the World Bank and other relevant 
international organizations, within their existing mandates and core competencies and managed by 
interested G20 members and other interested countries.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  7.  Way Forward  
39. We will continue to  work toward a human -centric future society, and emphasize the 
importance  of working with all interested parties and stakeholders in sharing good practices and 
experiences, including inclusive digital economy business models, in digitalization to advance 
globally inclusive development of digital society . 
40. We recognize the role an d contributions of the G20 engagement groups and other civil society 
groups in the G20 process. We thank International Organizations, including the APT, ERIA, IMF, ITU, 
OECD, UNCTAD, WB, and WTO for contributing their expertise to the work of the G20 DETF and 
welcome their efforts to maximize the positive impact of the digital economy.  
2  TRADE  
1.  Dialogue on Trade Developments  
41. We, the G20 Trade Ministers, exchanged views on the current trade environment. We agree 
that expanding trade and investment will be i mportant factors to promote future widespread 
economic prosperity and sustainable growth.  
42. We note that trade and investment growth slowed in 2018 and that this is contributing to a 
weaker  global growth outlook for 2019 -20 than previously projected.  While g rowth is expected to 
increase in 2020, downside risks arising from the current trade environment could undermine this 
growth.  
43. We continued our dialogue to mitigate risks and enhance confidence among exporters and 
investors, as we committed to do in Mar del  Plata last year. We affirmed the need to handle trade 
tensions and to foster mutually beneficial trade relations.  
44. We strive to realize a free, fair, non -discriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade 
and investment environment, to keep our mark ets open.  
45. International trade is important for productivity, innovation, job creation and development. 
We recognize the contributions that the WTO has made to this end. We agree that action is necessary 
to improve the functioning of the WTO. We recognize our business community's call for the G20 to 
continue supporting the multilateral trading system.  
2.  Sound Business Environment that Promotes Market -Driven Investment Decisions  
46. We reaffirm that structural problems in some sectors can cause a negative im pact, especially 
as the global economy has become more integrated. We will strive to ensure a level playing field 
and foster an enabling business environment.  
47. Many Members  affirm the need to strengthen international rules on industrial subsidies and 
welcome ongoing international efforts to improve trade rules affecting agriculture. Many of us 
highlighted agricultural subsidies and agricultural market access.  
48. In order to fo ster an open, transparent and conducive global policy environment for 
investment, we recognize the value of improving open, non -discriminatory, transparent and 
predictable conditions for investment.  
3.  Promotion of Trade and Investment that Contribute to  Sustainable and Inclusive 
Growth  
49. Trade and investment have contributed to widespread and sustainable global growth, 
inclusivity, poverty reduction and sustainable economic development. In particular, Global Value 
Chains are important features of the globa l economy, which can help shape trade, investment and 
development.  
50. There is recognition that the benefits of trade and investment have not been shared widely 
enough with all countries and all members of society, especially those who are vulnerable. We nee d WT/L/1066  
 
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  to enhance the benefits of trade and broaden participation. We also need to better understand the 
effects of trade and investment, better communicate their benefits to our citizens, and address their 
challenges.   
51. We should promote, facilitate and increa se the participation of groups that have not benefitted 
sufficiently from international trade, such as women, youth and MSMEs, while assisting them to seize 
the opportunities of international trade. We will continue to seek to enable enhanced participation  
by developing countries and MSMEs in Global Value Chains in increasingly meaningful ways. In this 
context, we recalled the discussion last year on key factors for G20 trade and investment 
policy -making options to support the participation and increase val ue addition in agro -food Global 
Value Chains.  
52. We take note of the "B20 Tokyo Summit Joint Recommendations: Society 5.0 for SDGs" as a 
voice of the business sector, while recognizing different national views on these proposals.  
53. We also take note of the adop tion by the B20 of a "Business Voluntary Action Plan" which 
reflects views from the private sector and the intention of global businesses to strengthen efforts to 
jointly contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, through responsible busine ss 
conduct.  
54. We shared information on business and policy examples that contribute to widespread and 
sustainable growth and inclusivity through trade and investment with the aim of learning from each 
other's experiences, while acknowledging the different a pproaches of individual G20 Members, and 
noted the importance of the idea of Sanpoyoshi - benefitting the seller, the purchaser and society. 
These examples will be publicly available.  
4.  WTO reform and Recent Developments in Bilateral and Regional Trade A greements  
55. Building on the G20 Leaders' declaration in Buenos Aires, we will work constructively with 
other WTO Members to undertake necessary WTO reform with a sense of urgency, including in the 
lead-up to the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference.  
56. We recogni ze the importance of transparency of the WTO Members' trade related policies. We 
note ongoing initiatives on transparency and notifications with this purpose in mind. We confirm our 
commitment to fulfilling our existing notification obligations.  
57. We also no te ongoing initiatives to strengthen the activities of the WTO regular committees 
and bodies in order to make the WTO function more effectively.  
58. We confirm the importance of the role of the WTO in generating opportunities and addressing 
various challenges . We reiterate our support for the work to agree on comprehensive and effective 
disciplines on fisheries subsidies as mandated in MC11. We also note some ongoing initiatives for 
updating WTO rules.  
59. We reaffirm the importance of the Work Programme on electr onic commerce.  
60. We note the ongoing discussion under the Joint Statement Initiative on electronic commerce.  
61. Participants in the respective Joint Statement Initiatives under the WTO welcome the ongoing 
discussion and confirm their commitment to achieve prog ress. 
62. In order to share the benefits of digitalization worldwide, we recognize that there is a need to 
enhance investment in infrastructure focusing on ICT, including in developing countries, to facilitate 
their participation in the digital economy. We als o acknowledge the need for capacity building for 
women, youth and MSMEs to benefit more from digitalization. To this end, we will continue our effort 
to harness and enhance the potential of trade and the digital economy.  
63. We recognize the complementary rol es of bilateral and regional free trade agreements that 
are WTO -consistent.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  64. We agree that action is necessary regarding the functioning of the dispute settlement system 
consistent with the rules as negotiated by the WTO Members.  
3  INTERFACE BETWEEN TR ADE AND  THE DIGITAL ECONOMY   
65. We, the G20 Trade Ministers and Digital Economy Ministers, recognizing the growing impact 
of digitalization on our societies and economies including in trade and commerce, reaffirmed the 
importance of the interface between trade and the digital economy as stated in the Buenos Aires 
Leaders' declaration. We discussed related issues on the interface between trade and the digital 
economy.  
66. We exchanged views on various issues including the concept of data free flow with trust, WTO 
discussions on electronic com merce, and needs for capacity building, bearing in mind the importance 
of ensuring that all countries are able to realize their opportunities. Discussions should continue with 
a view to enhance the benefits of digitalization, which is transforming every as pect of our economies 
and societies, and can contribute to economic growth, job creation, inclusion, development and 
innovation.  
4  TOWARDS THE OSAKA SU MMIT  
67. With a view to deepening G20 cooperation in the area of Trade and Digital Economy, we jointly 
recomme nd our Leaders consider these important topics at the Osaka Summit.  
_______________  
G20 AI PRINCIPLES2 
The G20 supports the Principles for responsible stewardship of Trustworthy AI in 
Section  1 and takes note of the Recommendations in Section 2.  
SECTION 1:  PRINCIPLES FOR RESP ONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF TRUSTWORTHY AI  
1.1.  Inclusive  growth, sustainable development and well -being  
Stakeholders should proactively engage in responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI in pursuit of 
beneficial outcomes for people and th e planet, such as augmenting human capabilities and 
enhancing creativity, advancing inclusion of underrepresented populations, reducing economic, 
social, gender and other inequalities, and protecting natural environments, thus invigorating 
inclusive growth , sustainable development and well -being.  
1.2.  Human -centred  values and fairness  
(a) AI actors should respect the rule of law, human rights and democratic values, throughout the 
AI system lifecycle. These include freedom, dignity and autonomy, privacy and data 
protection, non -discrimination and equality, diversity, fairness, social justice , and 
internationally recognized labour  rights.  
(b) To this end, AI actors should implement mechanisms and safeguards, such as capacity for 
human determination, that are appropriate to the context and consistent with the state of art.  
1.3.  Transparency and ex plainability  
AI Actors should commit to transparency and responsible disclosure regarding AI systems. To this 
end, they should provide meaningful information, appropriate to the context, and consistent with 
the state of art:  
i. to foster a general understanding of AI systems;  
ii. to make stakeholders aware of their interactions with AI systems, including in the workplace;  
iii. to enable those affected by an AI system to understand the outcome; and,  
                                                
2 This Annex draws from the OECD principles and recommendations.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  iv. to enable those adversely affected by an AI system to  challe nge its outcome  based on plain 
and easy -to-understand information on the factors, and the logic that served as the basis for 
the prediction, recommendation or decision.  
1.4.  Robustness, security and safety  
(a) AI systems should be robust, secure and safe thro ughout their entire lifecycle so that, in 
conditions of normal use, foreseeable use or misuse, or other adverse conditions, they function 
appropriately and do not pose unreasonable safety risk.  
(b) To this end, AI actors should ensure traceability, including i n relation to datasets, processes 
and decisions made during the AI system lifecycle, to enable analysis of the AI system's 
outcomes and responses to inquiry, appropriate to the context and consistent with the state 
of art.  
(c) AI actors should, based on their roles, the context, and their ability to act, apply a systematic 
risk management approach to each phase of the AI system lifecycle on a continuous basis to 
address risks related to AI systems, including privacy, digital security, safety and bias.  
1.5.  Accountability  
AI actors should be accountable for the proper functioning of AI systems and for the respect of the 
above principles, based on their roles, the context, and consistent with the state of art.  
SECTION 2: NATIONAL POLICIES AND INTERNA TIONAL CO -OPERATION FOR 
TRUSTWORTHY AI  
2.1.  Investing in AI research and development  
(a) Governments should consider long -term public investment, and encourage private 
investment, in research and development, including inter -disciplinary efforts, to spur 
innovation in tru stworthy AI that focus on challenging technical issues and on AI -related social, 
legal and ethical implications and policy issues.  
(b) Governments should also consider public investment and encourage private investment in 
open datasets that are representative and respect privacy and data protection to support an 
environment for AI research and development that is free of inappropriate bias and to improve 
interoperability and use of standards.  
2.2.  Fostering a digital ecosystem for AI  
Governments should foster the development of, and access to, a digital ecosystem for trustworthy 
AI. Such an ecosystem includes in particular digital technologies and infrastructure, and mechanisms 
for sharing AI knowledge, as appropriate. In this regard, governments should conside r promoting 
mechanisms, such as data trusts, to support the safe, fair, legal and ethical sharing of data.  
2.3.  Shaping an enabling policy environment for AI  
(a) Governments should promote a policy environment that supports an agile transition from the 
resear ch and development stage to the deployment and operation stage for trustworthy AI 
systems. To this effect, they should consider using experimentation to provide a controlled 
environment in which AI systems can be tested, and scaled -up, as appropriate.  
(b) Governments should review and adapt, as appropriate, their policy and regulatory frameworks 
and assessment mechanisms as they apply to AI systems to encourage innovation and 
competition for trustworthy AI.  
2.4.  Building human capacity and preparing for labour  market transformation  
(a) Governments should work closely with stakeholders to prepare for the transformation of the 
world of work and of society. They should empower people to effectively use and interact with 
AI systems across the breadth of applications, i ncluding by equipping them with the necessary 
skills.  WT/L/1066  
 
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  (b) Governments should take steps, including through social dialogue, to ensure a fair transition 
for workers as AI is deployed, such as through training programs along the working life, 
support for those a ffected by displacement, and access to new opportunities in the labour  
market.  
(c) Governments should also work closely with stakeholders to promote the responsible use of AI 
at work, to enhance the safety of workers and the quality of jobs, to foster entrepre neurship 
and productivity, and aim to ensure that the benefits from AI are broadly and fairly shared.  
2.5.  International co -operation for trustworthy AI  
(a) Governments, including developing countries and with stakeholders, should actively cooperate 
to advance these principles and to progress on responsible stewardship of trustworthy AI.  
(b) Governments should work together in the OECD and other global and regional fora to foster 
the sharing of AI knowledge, as appropriate. They should encourage internationa l, 
cross-sectora l and open multi -stakeholder initiatives to garner long -term expertise on AI.  
(c) Governments should promote the development of multi -stakeholder, consensus -driven global 
technical standards for interoperable and trustworthy AI.  
(d) Governments should also encourage the development, and their own use, of internationally 
comparable metrics to measure AI research, development and deployment, and gather the 
evidence base to assess progress in the implementation of these principles.  
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  WT/L/1066  
 
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  III. CHAIRS' STATEMENT  
This Statement reflects the Chairs' assessment of the broadly shared views of G20 Trade Ministers 
as expressed during discussions at the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Trade and Digital Economy on 
8 and 9 June 2019, in Ibaraki Tsukuba, Japan.  
Many Ministers expressed serious concerns about the current tensions surrounding trade. Ministers 
stressed the importance of mitigating risks, bearing in mind the adverse effects on confidence and 
investment sentiment among exporters and investors. Many Ministers affirmed the need to improve 
collectively the trade and investment environment. The importance of ensuring that trade measures 
be WTO consistent was emphasized by many Ministers.  
Ministers welcomed the progress made so far by the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC). 
The wide majority of members expressed their willingness to join an emerging consensus to 
recognize that further efforts are necessary to reduce excess steelmaking capacity and to call for 
the extension of the GFSEC' s duration beyond its current term and continuation of its work. A few 
members emphasized the importance of arriving at a full consensus as per G20 practice and stated 
that GFSEC has achieved its objective and should expire at the end of its current term.  
 
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