2023 Y7 Final Report
Y7 2023 High-Level Summary
Overview
The Youth 7 (Y7) is the official youth engagement group of the G7. This year, the Y7 Summit was hosted in Tokyo and Hiroshima, Japan, from April 6th-14th, 2023. The summit consisted of over 35 delegates representing their respective G7 countries in five negotiation tracks: Economic Resilience, Digital Innovation and Transformation, Climate and Environment, Global Health and Happiness, and Peace and Security.
Highlights
In advance of the Summit, our delegation conducted extensive research and consultations with Canadian youth groups and built strong relationships with other delegates. We also had the privilege to meet the former Canadian Ambassador to Japan, Jonathan T. Fried and the current Canadian Ambassador to Japan, Ian G. McKay. Throughout the Summit, our delegation led recommendations on equitable human capital development; a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuel dependency; a Digital Human Rights Charter and guidelines on developing public-facing AI-systems; and a sound approach to equitable and accessible health and care. The final Y7 communiqué was unanimously accepted and presented to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 13th, 2023.
Key Take-Aways
Relationship building, curiosity, and trust are key to reaching a consensus.
It is critical to prepare the team on the social, political, and geopolitical context of the host country to allow for empathic, strategic, and mutually beneficial negotiations.
Recognition of the diverse lived experiences of young Canadians is imperative, and approaching inclusion throughout all aspects is a direct benefit for both the Canadian delegation and the rest of the Y7 representatives’ experience and capacity building.
Up Next
Moving forward, our delegation will continue to advocate for the youth agenda outlined in the Y7 communiqué. This is occurring through an upcoming op-ed, media appearances, sharing developments on personal social media, and ongoing stakeholder engagement. We also are continuing to engage with other Y7 delegations, and ongoing dialogue regarding our efforts is in progress. We hope to use our personal platforms to amplify the communiqué and global youth voices.