CO -CREATION OF THE FLOWOF CHANGE
2024 OECD MINISTERIAL COUNCIL MEETINGKEYNOTE SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER KISHIDA FUMIO
AN EXCERPT
MAY 2, 2024
Full Text: https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/statement/202405/02mcm.html

On May 2, 2024, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio delivered a keynote speech as chair at the opening
ceremony of the Ministerial Council Meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) in Paris. He stated that Japan will serve as a bridge between the OECD and the Asianregion and contribute to the OECD’s future leadership of the global economy, as the international community
faces multipolarity, division, and conflict 60 years after Japan joined it.
It is my great honor to serve as Chair of the Ministerial
Council Meeting on this landmark 60th anniversary ofJapan’s accession to the OECD.
In addition to the ongoing Russian aggression against
Ukraine, we have witnessed new horrors in the Middle
East since last year, and many other conflicts are occurringaround the globe.
We are also confronted with the aggravated crises ofclimate change and a series of natural disasters.
These shifts are having a profound impact on the global
economy. We are facing inflation, disruptions in energy
and food supplies, and risks of fragmentation in global
supply chains. We are now at a crossroads in putting theworld back on a stable growth path.
At the same time, at this turning point in history, thechanges of era and hardships we are experiencing are also
opportunities to realize a more prosperous life. Today, I
would like to address the importance of uniting under thespirit of ‘Co-creating the Flow of Change’ and overcoming
the crises facing the international community.
A fundamental strength of the OECD lies in its humanresource of over 2,000 economists and its extensive data
Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio
delivered a speech at the Inclusive
Forum on Carbon Mitigation
Approaches Ministerial Dialogue
co-hosted by theOECD and Japan,
which chaired the2024 OECD Ministerial
Council Meeting.

and analytical capabilities which contribute to policymaking across nations.
In Japan, we are leveraging this expertise, including the“OECD Economic Survey of Japan” released this January,
to transform initiatives to solve social challenges into newengines for growth.
Japan is advocating a New Form of Capitalism,
transitioning from a cost-cutting to a growth-oriented
economic model.
In alignment with OECD recommendations, Japan
will advance its initiatives to increase productivity.
Science and technology are the key to industrial structuraltransformation and the foundation to cultivate ourfuture. We are bolstering support for new frontiers andinnovation initiatives such as AI, autonomous driving,
space, and overseas expansion of SMEs, as well as
providing assistance to start-ups.
Japan attaches importance to promoting green
transformation, aiming to simultaneously realize a stableenergy supply, economic growth, and decarbonization.
With this in mind, we will adopt the “GreenTransformation National Strategy.” Under the “Asia ZeroEmission Community” platform, we will advocate anenergy transition model to the international communitythat achieves the common goal of net-zero throughinnovation and various pathways.
Like other OECD members, Japan faces the challenge
of a declining population. We are committed to reversing
this trend as well as removing employment barriers for

Left: Prime Minister Kishidareceiving greetings fromSecretary-General Mathias
Cormann of OECD.
Right: A commemorative
photo by OECD officials.

women and the elderly in pursuit of sustainable growth.
Japan will continue to collaborate effectively with theOECD to shape better policies and create a significant
flow of changes, together with member countries.
The Ministerial Council Meeting is a unique
opportunity for countries with shared values to cometogether and discuss global and progressive issues.
We seek to deepen our discussions and reach acommon understanding towards shaping a rules-based
free and open international order. Japan will contribute todiscussions drawing on its experiences and achievements
as the holder of last year’s G7 presidency.
Maintaining and expanding a rules-based, free and faireconomic order, with the WTO at its core, remains on topof the international agenda. We need to discuss further
the challenges facing free and open trade and investment,
as well as sustainability and inclusivity in trade, both ofwhich form the foundation of the international economicorder.
In recent years, we also need to strengthen our
cooperation to ensure economic resilience and economic
security. The OECD can contribute to the members’
efforts by forming global standards through objective
analyses and assessments. At this Ministerial Council
Meeting, we will have a separate dedicated session to
discuss economic resilience and economic security.
The climate crisis is a challenge common to all
humankind that cannot be postponed. We must address
issues concerning climate change, biodiversity, andenvironmental pollution in an integrated manner. As we
pursue the transformation towards net-zero, circular, andnature-positive economies, let us advance discussions tofoster synergies among these efforts.
The OECD’s data and analytical capabilities on
Official Development Assistance (ODA), along withthe promotion of OECD standards, are crucial to attract
private investment and address the development financing
needs of developing countries.
Digital technology is one of the areas where the OECD
can leverage its strengths the most, and we expect theOECD to continue playing a central role moving forward.
The OECD has also been at the forefront of international

discussions on AI, including the development of AI
principles. Building on the outcomes of the Hiroshima
AI Process, we will advance discussions towards achieving
safe, secure, and trustworthy AI.
I have just announced the establishment of theHiroshima AI Process Friends Group. Let us collaborate
as nations united by a common purpose to address theuniversal opportunities and risks brought about by AI,
and work towards achieving safe, secure, and trustworthy
AI. We will also make steady progress on operationalizing
Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), which forms thefoundation of these efforts.
Sixty years ago, Japan became the first Asian country tojoin the OECD, marking a significant step in re-engaging
with the international community.
Sixty years later, as the international community has
undergone significant changes, facing multipolarity,division and conflict, and as uncertainty and opacity haveincreased, the OECD needs to change too. It has become
increasingly important for the OECD, which sharescommon values, to extend its outreach to non-member
countries around the world.
Rather than imposing values, it is essential for theOECD to act as a companion in growth and development.
This should be done by embracing the concept of ‘cocreation’ and closely aligning with the needs of others.
From this perspective, we welcome countries from Latin
America, Central and Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia
that are joining hands with the OECD on the road toaccession.
We are pleased with the positive developments inestablishing a framework for cooperation between Africa
and the OECD.
This year, we have seen historic developments, including
the adoption of accession roadmaps for Argentina andIndonesia, and Thailand’s application for membership.
Strengthening ties with increasingly important regions
represents the future direction for the OECD.
As one of the few Asian members, Japan will continue
to act as a bridge between the OECD and the Asianregion, contributing to the OECD’s continued leadershipin the global economy.

ANNOUNCEDON
MAY 2, 2024

THE HIROSHIMAAI PROCESSFRIENDS GROUP KICKS OFF
The Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, avoluntary framework of countries supporting thespirit of the Hiroshima AI Process, was kicked off
with the participation of 49 countries and regions inMay 2024 at a side event of the OECD MinisterialCouncil Meeting “Towards Safe, Secure andTrustworthy AI: Promoting Inclusive Global AI
Governance.” Prime Minister Kishida said at thatevent, “As AI is an innovative technology that affects

humanity at large, it is important that many countries
share a common understanding on its use anddevelopment.” The Hiroshima AI Process Friends
Group will work to implement the International
Guiding Principles and the Code of Conduct andpromote cooperation to ensure that people all over
the world can benefit from the use of safe, secure, andtrustworthy AI.
*For more information on the Hiroshima AI process, see the article below.

THE HIROSHIMAAI PROCESS:LEADING THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE TO SHAPE
INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE FOR GENERATIVE AI
AN EXCERPTFEBRUARY 9, 2024
Full Text: https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2024/02/hiroshima_ai_process.html

Amid the growing global debate over advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as generative AI, the Hiroshima
AI Process was launched by the G7 under Japan’s presidency in May 2023, with the aim of promoting safe, secure, andtrustworthy AI. This article delves into the significance of its output, the Hiroshima AI Process Comprehensive Policy
Framework—the world’s first international effort toward that end.

The rapid development andspread of advanced AI systems suchas generative AI have become an

important global issue in recentyears. The Hiroshima AI Process
was launched in May 2023 forinternational discussion, following
the Leaders’ direction at the G7
Hiroshima Summit under Japan’spresidency. Recognizing the needto build up and promote inclusive
global governance on AI inorder to maximize its innovative

At the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May
2023, leaders confirmed the need forgenerative AI governance and agreed toestablish the Hiroshima AI Process as aforum for further discussion.

Prime Minister Kishida givinga speech at the Side Event on
Generative AI.

opportunities while mitigating
the risks and challenges fromadvanced AI systems, work began
on establishing international rules
to serve as the foundation of suchgovernance. And in December of lastyear, agreement was reached on theworld’s first international framework,
known as the Hiroshima AI Process
Comprehensive Policy Framework.
The framework presents a setof elements, including both the“Hiroshima Process International
Guiding Principles for All AIActors” and the “Hiroshima Process
International Code of Conductfor Organizations Developing
Advanced AI Systems.” TheInternational Guiding Principles are
the set of principles that should beapplied to all actors across the AI
lifecycle. In addition to principles
mainly geared toward AI developers,such as publicly reporting advanced
AI systems’ capabilities and domains
of inappropriate use, and protecting
intellectual property, they also
include those that call on users toimprove digital literacy dealing withsuch risks as disinformation.
The International Code ofConduct, on the other hand, lists
in more detail the actions thatAI developers must abide by.
A certain level of abstraction isemployed in the wording of both theInternational Guiding Principles andthe International Code of Conduct
so that stakeholders from various
perspectives can agree on them. Yetat the same time, the International
Code of Conduct also contains somereferences that are more detailed,ranging from examples of risks
requiring the attention of developers
to the development and deploymentof technology enabling users toidentify AI-generated content.
From now on, the G7 plans
to expand outreach to partner
governments to broaden support for
the International Guiding Principles
and the International Code ofConduct, and to further advance theHiroshima AI Process by intensifying
coordination and cooperation acrossmultilateral forums including at theOECD and the United Nations(UN). Japan is slated to inaugurate
the AI Safety Institute, whose roles
will include conducting research
on AI safety evaluation methods.
The country additionally plans toestablish the Tokyo Center of theGlobal Partnership on AI (GPAI)—
an international public-private
partnership—to conduct research
and analysis on generative AI.
With the goal of promoting
safe, secure, and trustworthy AI,
Japan will promote the outcomesof the Hiroshima AI Process while
continuing to strengthen global
dialogue and cooperation.
Prime Minister Kishida participatedonline in the inaugural AI Safety Summit
hosted by the U.K. in November 2023. Hestated that he would like to work closelywith such efforts to drive the creation ofrules that would benefit the international
community as a whole.