From April 27-28, 2023, the “Think7 Japan Summit” took place in Tokyo, Japan. The Think7 is the official engagement group of the G7 with the think tank community.
The theme of this year’s Think7 is “Addressing Crises, Reigniting Sustainable Development, Bridging the G7 and G20.” In light of the foreign policy challenges, Japan’s Prime Minister, Kishida Fumio, upon assuming the G7 chairmanship, spoke of a “historic turning point” at which the international community found itself. The goal, he said, was to demonstrate the G7 and its “strong determination to the world with historical significance.” At the summit, the Communiqué of the Think7 was presented.
The Think7 brings together representatives of the think tank community of the G7 countries to support the G7 with policy-related research and concrete recommendations for action. The focus areas of this year’s Think7 were: 1. Development and Economic Prosperity, 2. Wellbeing, Environmental Sustainability and Just Transition, 3. Science and Digitalization for a Better Future und 4. Peace, Security, and Global Governance.
At the summit, the Think7 discussed challenges and opportunities in these four fields. Aspen Germany Director Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner spoke at the Summit on the panel “Climate Finance, Trade, the Role of Multilateral Institutions in the Context of COP28 and Beyond” on trade and climate change.
Today’s major global challenges cannot be mastered within the framework of the G7 alone. Accordingly, another important focus of this year’s Think7 is building bridges between the G7 and the G20. The summit was therefore also attended by numerous representatives from the Think20 and other countries of the global South. The Japanese Think7, together with the Think20 under the Indian chairmanship, plans to develop recommendations for action for both groups of states.
The G7 Summit will take place in Hiroshima from 19-21 May, 2023.
