T20 Issues Communique for G20 Leaders
27 May 2019, Tokyo, Japan — The Think20 (T20), the research and policy advice network of the Group of 20 (G20), convened at the T20 Summit in Tokyo on 26-27 May where they issued the T20 Japan Communique detailing innovative policy recommendations for consideration during the G20 Leaders’ summit in Osaka.
The recommendations equip G20 member countries to advance the T20 Japan vision – Seeking a Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Society – in-line with policy priorities under Japan’s 2019 G20 presidency. Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Abe Shinzo underscored the value of the T20’s policy guidance in areas ranging from trade and investment to infrastructure development to climate change and the environment to international finance in a message at the T20 Summit.
The T20 Summit brought together top policy experts under the coordination of the three lead organizations of T20 Japan: The Asian Development Bank Institute, the Japan Institute of International Affairs and the Institute for International Monetary Affairs.
View the T20 Japan Communique [日本語]
“The T20 is an important engagement group of the G20,” explained Prime Minster Abe. “I am delighted to hear that T20 members have discussed various solutions for realizing a sustainable, inclusive and resilient society.”
“I also expect you [the T20] will present new perspectives and a clear path towards resolving the challenges that the world faces,” Prime Minister Abe added.
Recommendations in the T20 Japan Communique were developed through empirical research and analysis by top policy experts under ten T20 Japan task forces.
“The G20 countries have taken steps closer to the new global goal of a sustainable, inclusive and resilient society with the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development but still face challenges on the way ahead,” noted T20 Japan Chair and Asian Development Bank Institute Dean Naoyuki Yoshino, as described in the T20 Japan Communique.
“Reducing widening inequality, further poverty reduction, gender equity, climate change and disaster resilience remain challenges,” continued Dean Yoshino. “We are also confronted with emerging challenges including the new wave of digital innovation, population aging, changes in the dynamics of global governance and the erosion of trust and social cohesion.”
T20 policy proposals encourage G20 countries to address these challenges with approaches centered on investments in human and physical capital, a holistic and systemic approach to cross-cutting issues, and effective and robust global governance architecture.
“T20 Japan, through the work of its ten policy task forces, has produced innovative and evidence-based recommendations to guide the way forward for the global community,” concluded Dean Yoshino. “This includes new focus on small and medium enterprises and population aging given the importance and relevance of policy experiences in Japan and other Asian countries on these issues to other countries.”
Dean Yoshino will represent the T20 during the G20 summit in Osaka to spotlight the T20 Japan Communique recommendations for consideration by G20 countries.
Media Contacts
David Hendrickson, Communications Specialist, Asian Development Bank Institute
dhendrickson@adbi.org | Tel: +81 3 3593 5506 | Mobile/WhatsApp/LINE: +81 80 7361 5707
Yukifumi Takeuchi, Japanese Media Consultant, Asian Development Bank Institute
ytakeuchi1@adbi.org | Tel: + 81 3 3593 5529 | Mobile/LINE: +81 80 5686 2824
Other Inquiries: Please contact the T20 Japan 2019 Secretariat at t20japan@adbi.org
For More:
Information on T20 Japan 2019 meetings, associated events and policy imperatives can be found on t20japan.org. You can also get the latest on T20 Japan 2019 on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
