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This brochure summarizes the results of the Y8 and Y20 Summit. Both summits were organized in collaboration with The IDEA and Policy Innovation.
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SUMMARY 2013
OUTLINE
6 The Y8 and Y20 Summit
3 The IDEA
16 Impressions from the Y8
2
Dear Reader,
This brochure is meant to provide an overview of the Y8 and the Y20 Summit 2013. Both summits were geared toward students from G8 and
G20 countries and sought to give the youth a stronger voice in contemporary global poliHcs.
This brochure provides an insight into the concepts behind both summits, reflecHons on the experiences and a summary of the soluHons envisioned
by more than 300 young bright minds who came together in St. Petersburg, Russia and London, United Kingdom.
While both Final Communiques can be accessed separately, the summary of the Communiquès encompasses excerpts of the most important/
innovaHve ideas and short comments from the German DelegaHon. As the summary only provides a brief overview of the most interesHng ideas, we encourage every reader to take a look at both Final Communiqués and hope that this document will raise interest to do so.
The Policy InnovaHon Team
19 Policy Innovation
THE IDEA
3
Along with the first G8 Youth Summit 2006 in St. Petersburg, the members of the organizing teams in their respecHve parHcipaHng countries decided to create a more formal structure to enhance the coordinaHon and organizaHon of the G8 Youth Summit under the auspices of the G8 Youth
Network. Both the summits as well as the network were rebranded in 2013 to become the Y8 and Y20 Summit, organized by the InternaHonal DiplomaHc Engagement AssociaHon (The IDEA). Its aim is to bridge the coordinaHng elements between all G8 and G20 organizing commi^ees, thereby ensuring future cooperaHon among the organizing commi^ees of
the Y8 and Y20 Summits.
The organizaHon of the annual Y8 and Y20 Summits requires extensive preparaHon by the host countries‘ organizing commi^ees. They are tasked to find an appropriate venue, create an interesHng and demanding
program for the summit by inviHng speakers and above all secure funding.
To assist each year’s new host countries to meet the challenge these tasks present, The IDEA seeks to provide all members with technical assistance and support. To this end, The IDEA emphasizes knowledge sharing and the
communicaHon of lessons learned and best pracHces.
Furthermore, the Network serves as a pool in which the members of the organizing teams are able to search for informaHon on important ma^ers such as delegate preparaHon, course and topics of the summit as well as
on strategies on how to communicate the results to the interested public, poliHcians and media.
The IDEA
4
Above all, The IDEA‘s role is to ensure that the summits take place annually in line with its global vision. The decision-‐making structures in the network promote the involvement of all members in deciding on the core quesHons regarding the summit. Simultaneously, enough flexibility is
leb for the host countries organizing commi^ees to shape the event the way they see fit. In return, the preparaHon and organizaHon of the respecHve naHonal delegaHons remains the responsibility of each naHonal organizing commitee.
The Y8 and Y20 Summits and its predecessors have been held so far in the following countries:
➡ 03.04 – 09.04.2006, Model G8 Youth Summit, St. Petersburg, Russia
➡ 26.04 – 30.04.2007, Model G8 Youth Summit, Berlin, Germany
➡ 11.03 – 16.03.2008, Model G8 Youth Summit, Tokyo & Yokohama, Japan
➡ 16.03 – 20.03.2009, G8 Youth Summit
Milan, Italy➡ 09.05 – 14.05.2010, G8/G20 Youth Summit
Vancouver, Canada➡ 29.05. – 03.06.2011, G8 & G20 Youth Summits,
Paris, France
➡ 03.06 – 09.06.2012, G8 & G20 Youth Summits, Washington, D.C., USA
➡ 17.06. – 21.06.2013, Y20 Summit, St. Petersburg, Russia➡ 24.06. – 28.06.2013, Y8 Summit, London, United Kingdom
The nine Summits were a^ended by more than 1000 delegates as well as nearly 400 organizers from over 20 countries. They shared 47 days together and had numerous discussions.
The nine Summits have so far produced more than 300 pages with new
and innovaHve proposals for a broad variety of global challenges. In total an esHmated 1000 hours were spent in discussions. The average sleep Hme of a delegate during the Summits is four hours per night.
The IDEA
5
Four of the G8 and G20 countries are part of the European Union. Six Countries are members of the NATO. In 2010 the G8 Youth Summit became the G8/G20 Youth Summit by inviHng delegaHons from all G20
countries. In 2013 the summits were split for the first Hme into one summit dedicated to the G8, the Y8 summit, and one for the G20, the Y20 summit. Both summits were endorsed by the Russia and BriHsh government, respecHvely.
The Summits have more than 20 groups on Facebook, with more than 3000 members. The IDEA‘s Facebook-‐Site alone has 5500 Likes. The project is responsible for more than 1000 new friendships worldwide, and several internaHonal relaHonships.
The IDEA is about building bridges, creaHng and understanding about global issues, assisHng in finding new ways forward and grounded on personal relaHonships and commitment. We are the biggest truly global organizaTon enHrely relient upon the voluntary work of the many around the world.
We shape the future -‐ our future!
Heads of The IDEA‘s member organisaTons, Krasnoyarsk, 2013
The Y8 and the Y20 Summit
6
The Y8 and Y20 Summit are unique internaHonal youth conferences that bring together young leaders represenHng their own naHons within the G8 and G20 to facilitate discussions of internaHonal affairs and promote cross-‐cultural understanding. The Summits are a global youth iniHaHve
that run parallel to real world events concerning the G8 and G20. The parHcipaHng students are asked to envision innovaHve but realisHc soluHons for global challenges.
In 2013, the Y8 Summit took place in London, United Kingdom, whereas the Y20 took place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Over a period of five days
each, the delegaHons from the 20 present countries not only negoHated the Final Communiqués, but gained an unparalleled insight into the pracHce of diplomacy. Moreover, aside from various speeches by reknowned poliHcians or civil society acHvists, the delegaHons parHcipaHng in the Y20 had the unique chance to parHcipate in the St.
Petersburg Economic Forum.
The Heads of State of both the Y8 and Y20 delegaHons synthesized the recommendaHons of their ministers into one Final Communiqué each for the two summits in an exciHng late night session. The Heads of State of the Y20 DelegaHons had aberwards the unique chance to meet with
Russian President Vladimir PuHn to discuss their proposals.
The German DelegaTon to the Y20, St. Petersburg, 2013
The Y8 and Y20 Summit
8 HEADS OF STATE
9 FINANCE
12 DEVELOPMENT
11 ENVIRONMENT
14 DEFENCE
13 FOREIGN AFFAIRS
10 ECONOMICS
7
The resulHng Final Communiqués envision soluHons to current global challenges. While the enHre Final Communiques can be accessed separately, the following pages encompass quotes of the most important/innovaHve ideas and short comments from the German DelegaHon. We
encourage you to take a look at the enHre Final Communiqué of both summits and hope that this document has given you interest to do so. Both Final Communiqués as well as all previsous publicaHons of Policy InnovaHon and The IDEA can be accessed on our website at
h]p://www.policy-‐innovaTon.org.
15 JUSTICE
Unfortunately, both a military and a poliHcal soluHon in Syria seem unrealisHc in the short-‐term. We all acknowledged the messy realiHes on the ground and we focused on the establishment of safeguarded humanitarian corridors. To me, this parHal consensus between the West and Russia showed that despite all the challenges in Western Russian relaHons a poliHcal se^lement could be reached.
To me, the idea behind this paragraph is of the utmost importance. It symbolizes part of a strong consensus amongst the youth presented at the Y20 that the Bre^on-‐Woods insHtuHons, as well as the UN family, have to be reformed in order to be^er reflect the realiHes of the 21st century. Failure would only lead to a further lack of credibility and legiHmacy. The anachronisHc US/European monopoly in selecHng WB/IMF leadership, for instance, is obviously only part of the build-‐up of reforms. In the context of Western decline, we all agreed that a much stronger and fairer rules-‐based liberal internaHonal order is required to facilitate a peaceful rise of new world-‐powers.
HEADS OF STATE
8
The G20 should support the establishment of “safety corridors” within Syria for civilians and refugees (…) This would include an internaHonal peacekeeping force to be recruited by the United States and Russia for the protecHon of the safe corridors. The US and Russia would also coordinate humanitarian aid, as exisHng moderators in the conflict, for these safety corridors. (…) The safety corridors will be considered no-‐fly zones (…)” (P. 12 | Y8)
„“We encourage reform in IMF and World Bank
leadership to be based on transparent and merit-‐based criteria, avoiding regional preferences. (P. 1 | Y20)
„
“ Y8Y20
Ma_
a Nelles
Ma_
a Nelles
In Hmes of financial crises and ever eroding welfare-‐states, it is an unsustainable circumstance, both economically and poliHcally, that more than £ 3 trillion are hidden away in global off-‐shore accounts. In closing such drainage points, the G20 states would give themselves more room for manoeuvring and greater opHons in facing the challenges of the 21st century, such as demographic change, climate change and the restructuring of their industries and labour markets.
With the ever increasing rate of globalizaHon, it is of great importance that policy makers and public authoriHes do not lag behind criminal structures. Only through taking joint and decisive acHon can governments hope to successfully combat global and systemaHc criminal acHvity. In the 21st century naHonal secrecy and solo efforts are anHquated methods of operaHon. In areas of global consequence, cooperaHon between naHons, especially among the G20, is the only way towards a sustainable future.
FINANCE
9
We recognize the harm caused by tax havens through the erosion of other country’s fiscal bases. [...] We strongly recommend: (a) imposing a tax on cash flows directly connected with tax havens; (b) encouraging countries to systemaHcally exchange financial and fiscal informaHon; and (c) closing tax loopholes exercised by third party countries. (P.2 | Y20)„
“
We recognize the urgency in combaHng illegal financial acHviHes such as money laundering and tax evasion. Therefore we recommend seta-‐blishing a protocol focused on compiling and sharing financial intelligence, which would enable naHonal task forces to cooperate internaHonally. (P. 2 | Y20)„
“ Y8Y20
Irene
Ada
mski
Irene
Ada
mski
The problem of inordinate indebtedness rather concerns the G7 member states (i.e. the large Western European economies, the US, Canada and Japan) than any of the emerging powers. However, a debt crisis in one of the G20 member states deeply affects all other major economies of the world. While the first group mostly recognizes internaHonal coordinaHon and commitments as a potenHal soluHon to stop the trend of increasing indebtedness, the emerging powers do not have enough reasons for limiHng their sovereignty. A compromise on an internaHonal commitment should, therefore, rather be sought in the framework of the G8 than of the G20, while the la^er is sHll an appropriate plaxorm for construcHng a reliable system of transparency in fiscal policies.
ECONOMICS
10
With regard to each naHon’s sovereignty, we recommend that the G20 countries strive towards fiscal sustainability and take into account country-‐specific factors. We suggest that the G20 countries set transparent budget performance targets. (P. 2 | Y20)„
“
We recommend the use of naHonal oversight bodies to coordinate the development of long-‐term infrastructure projects that cut across poliHcal cycles and to promote the use of open government in making policy and investment decisions. (P. 4 | Y20)„
“
While the most-‐developed countries have a well developed infrastructure system and therefore, rather concentrate on conservaHon and maintenance than development in their infrastructure policies, the emerging powers of the G20 sHll expand it. It is in the interest of every G20 state to have well funcHoning infrastructure systems in the developing countries, as these are the basis for further growth and economic cooperaHon. To ensure a long-‐Hme planning of the infra-‐structure development and to avoid drasHc cuts aber the change of poliHcal representaHon, every state is recommended to use an oversight body which monitors and plans infrastructure policies across poliHcal cycles.
Y8Y20
Micha
el Borsky
Micha
el Borsky
Support will be provided through the establishment of an internaHonal fund to financially assist small-‐scale farmers in the transiHon from convenHonal to sustainable agriculture pracHces. (P. 43 | Y8) „
A more transparent global food market is essenHal in allowing consumers to make informed choices with regards to the products they purchase. Although full transparency will be difficult to achieve, especially the availability of approximate CO2 emissions per producHon unit will not only allow more informed consumer choices, but provides an indirect incenHve for companies to lower their CO2 emissions.
The Y8+ acknowledges the need to educate con-‐sumers on sustainable food producHon and con-‐sumpHon. Therefore we stress the importance of higher transparency standards on the global food market. A need exists for increased transparency in the food supply chain with regards to the chemicals used to grow, process and preserve food, as well as the amount of CO2 emissions emi^ed from the field to the retailer. Moreover the Y8+ recommends that this informaHon be available to the public. (P. 43 | Y8) „
“
According to the InternaHonal Fund for Agricultural Develop-‐ment, about 80 per cent of the food consumed in Asia and Sub-‐Saharan Africa is produced by small-‐scale farmers. The establishment of such a fund will play an essenHal role in encouraging these farmers to move towards more sustainable producHon methods.
ENVIRONMENT
11
Y8Y20
“Lea Kliem
Lea Kliem
DEVELOPMENT
12
The Y8+ is encouraging the teaching of social enter-‐prise in school curriculums to develop enterprise-‐neurial skills and will strive for the establishment of a working group in 2013 composed of willing naHons facilitated by UNESCO and the World Bank Group to advise local universiHes and terHary educaHon on how these values may be (...) incorporated into exisHng curricula. (P. 39 | Y8) „
“
We advocate for the creaHon of a personal online profile system that displays the commi^ed amount, type, and received benefits per individual, while informing of the aid source. The system would allow for user feedback on aid quality and quanHty, provide monitoring abiliHes and data collecHon on the effecHveness of received assistance. (...) This plaxorm should be incorporated into exisHng mobile banking technology. (P. 41 | Y8)„
Schools, foundaHons and NGOs focus on civic, arHsHc or health educaHon. This is helpful, yet it is apparent that there is a lack of financial educaHon. Having an understanding for tangibles, work performance, enterpreneurneurship, or the economic and monetary system is necessary to feel empowered and realize that there are a broad range of opportuniHes to lib oneself out of poverty. Here, promoHng social enterprise combines many objecHves at the same Hme: CreaHng new jobs, having a sustainable purpose and eradicaHng poverty.
Y8Y20“
DonaHng money to projects, organizaHons or foundaHons is a good deed. But how does the financial contribuHon make an impact in terms of the development, efficiency and effecHve-‐ness? With the above-‐menHoned online system the Y8+ offers an easily applicable soluHon and a supplement to the exisHng mobile banking applicaHons. In general, a cooperaHon between computer engineers, development workers and staHsHcians is important to increase the quality of useful mobile applicaHons and design new ones which affects developing communiHes in a posiHve way and facilitates development work.
Mina Saidze
Mina Saidze
To enhance the strength of Mali’s regional and border security, we shall allocate security assistance to Mali’s regional neighbours, pursuant with AU framework provisions and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) defence and security commission, with the explicit purpose of Hghtening Mali’s border security. (P. 17 | Y8)
The recent conflict in Mali is not just influenced by Tuareg rebels’ pursuit of an independent state, but by wider systemic factors, springing from the permanent risk of regional crisis as we see in Libya and Egypt. No country can be treated in isolaHon. Hence, G8/G20 youths discussed in what ways we can stabilize these variables and thereby allow for a more prosperous future for the country and, eventually, the wider region. This included the expansion of exisHng regional border security frameworks, increased security involvement from internaHonal and regional bodies such as the UN and AU, and enhanced North-‐South reconciliaHon efforts via poliHcal and humanitarian channels.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
13
We recognise that Libya is undergoing significant democraHc, poliHcal, economic and security re-‐construcHon. The Libyan people and their govern-‐ment face significant challenges in their efforts to establish a peaceful, secure, and prosperous country. Foremost (...) is the need to restore order and strengthen border security (...) and develop the Libyan internal security apparatus. (P. 16 | Y8)„
“
„
The Arab Spring has been an opportunity, but also a threat to the same extent. As youths we are in the posiHon to take a lead in emphasizing the importance of a mulHlateral, mulH-‐channel approach, indispensible in a world that gained in complexity and in potenHal for cooperaHon, as never before. In our focus on post-‐revoluHon Libya, the new state, together with regional and internaHonal actors and organs, must provide the firmament for reconciliaHon, covering physical security e.g. from mines, industrial rehabilitaHon and self-‐sustaining insHtuHon-‐building.
Y8Y20“
MarTn
Hinkens
MarTn
Hinkens
Considering the fierce and heated discussions with relevant members of the summit on the use of drones and its potenHal impacts on internaHonal law, acknowledging that current pracHces – be they legal or illegal – can and will have important repercussions on how states will be able to jusHfy their acHon once they have aqcuired the technological capaciHes to do so, needs to be seen as a significant first step towards more internaHonal transparency and accountability.
States are commi^ed to refusing any form of financial interacHon and transacHons with enHHes and insHtuHons involved with nuclear development for non-‐peaceful purposes. (P. 31 | Y8)
Regarding the effecHveness of exisHng non-‐proliferaHon measures especially in the case of Iran, the Y8 underline with this request that all relevant internaHonal actors need to act in concert when it comes to the financial insHtuHonal network facilitaHng nuclear development for military purposes. UN sancHons have too oben lacked rigorous implementaHon by its members, thus sobening the potenHal economic impacts and contribuHng to the enduring ineffecHveness of such measures.
DEFENCE
14
Y8Y20
The panel acknowledges the repercussions that present pracHces might have on the future use of drones regarding internaHonal customary law. (P. 34 | Y8)„
“
„“
Mirk
o Woitzik
Mirk
o Woitzik
The G8 have to act as leaders in closing the gender gap. Given that the natural process that leads to equal parHcipaHon has proven too slow, it is Hme to introduce quotas in the important sectors. This would not only increase compeHHon, but also encourage women to take on leadership responsibility. Quotas should only privilege women with the same qualificaHons as their male compeHtors, thus invalidaHng the argument that women are being appointed to posiHons merely as a result of their gender.
Countries commit themselves to criminalise trans-‐plantaHon of organs of which the origin is unclear which would be reported by an internaHonal task force of health/medical experts with experHse in the idenHficaHon process of organ donaHon. (P. 25 | Y8)
We need to develop internaHonal policies in order to encourage transparency and an internaHonal checking-‐up process relaHng to idenHficaHon of the origin of transplanted organs. The G8 need to improve invesHgaHon and regulaHons need to be stricter. For this it is also crucial that all countries commit themselves to criminalise transplantaHon of organs of which the origin is unclear.
JUSTICE
15
Y8Y20
The Y8+ encourages the use of quotas to increase women's representaHon in policy related fields to allow for the creaHon of new policies to sHmulate growth in gender equality in the private sector. (P. 28 | Y8)„
“
“
„
Alma Laiadh
iAlma Laiadh
i
Impressions from the Y8
16
It took the Y8 one week and 51 pages to express soluHons and recommendaHons in six policy areas. However, the final document, which reads like an agreeable and simply reached consensus, is the result of strong dedicaHon, hard work, heated debates and last-‐minute compromises. It was determined in the middle of the night aber
negoHaHons had already officially ended for several hours.
Only one week aber the heads of state of the G8 countries met in Northern Ireland, the 2013 ediHon of the Y8 was hosted in a slightly different fashion at the Old Royal Naval College in London: 150 delegates from more than 18 countries spent 5 days discussing innovaHve soluHons
to the world's most challenging issues. When the BriHsh host organizaHon decided not only to invite the Y8 but also the Y20 to London, it met a huge challenge but also increased the legiHmacy and the significance of the summit.
As usual, Policy InnovaHon e.V. sent the German delegaHon, this year
headed by Ma~a Nelles, the German chancellor. Aber several months of intensive preparaHons, acute online pre-‐negoHaHons, and informal online communicaHon with the other delegaHons, the pressure culminated in these five days in London. Before, the German delegaHon had successfully placed most of its priority topics on the agendas of each panel.
The German DelegaTon and OC Members at the Y8, London, 2013
ArTcle by Ma]
hias Kaspe
rs, P
ress Delegate of th
e German
DelegaT
on to
the Y8
and
Y20
Impressions from the Y8
17
Aber the opening ceremony took place on Monday, negoHaHons got started early Tuesday morning. Since the commi^ees had agreed on the order of topics beforehand, significant issues were discussed straight away. From the first moment on, the German delegaHon was focused on
transferring their own ideas, suggesHons and approaches into the final communiqué which served as the concluding document of the conference, a composiHon that all delegates and finally all heads of state of all countries would agree on. The German sherpa, Irene Adamski, urged her fellow delegates to consistently sum things up at the end of each day
of negoHaHons: 'What is crucial? What must not be a part of the final communiqué, what ideas may not be missing?'
Aber the delegates were in negoHaHons all day long on Tuesday, they had the opportunity to discover London on Wednesday, socialize with their fellow colleagues and lay the foundaHon for conHnuously fruixul debates
on an interpersonal level. While this was not the Hme for formal debates, it was however used for informal talks and for gaining others' trust and building confidence. Also, at the end of each day the German delegaHon held a short team meeHng to update each other about the process of negoHaHons and to discuss possible difficulHes and challenges.
The final communiqué was then agreed on Thursday night. Standing outside aber a long day of tough negoHaHons, the locaHon already closed due to the late hour, the heads of state agreed on the final lines of the document. On Friday, the summit was wrapped up by a special gala dinner at what is called the finest dining hall of Europe, the Painted Hall at
Greenwich University. It was the fesHve closing ceremony of a week full of innovaHve ideas, intercultural experiences and more than hundred young people from all over the world sharing a common goal.
When asked for drawing a personal conclusion of the negoHaHons from a German perspecHve, Alma Laiadhi, the German Minister of JusHce,
responded: “Apart from few contested issues like death sentence or the treatment of whistleblowers, na7onal interests rather came second, whereas one could feel a certain atmosphere to cooperate and to reach a common goal. I think the German delegates succeeded in defending their points against their powerful Western counterparts but also acted as
mediators between those and rather reluctant countries.”
Impressions from the Y8
18
Later, when asked for her personal highlight, she remembered:
“The breakthrough in the area of a female quota! When it looked like no consensus could be reached, I was able to convince the only objector, my fellow Russian delegate, of the importance of this issue.”
Further innovaHve recommendaHons can be found in the final communiqué, among those are for instance the introducHon of a system similar to Erasmus on a global scale in order to promote student mobility and exchanges. Regarding Syria, a “safety corridor” for civilians and refugees shall be established in the border regions which would be
recognized by all parHes and coordinated by the US and Russia. In light of the recent cyber-‐security affairs, the Y8+ also called for all states to embrace the freedom of expression and informaHon and find a reasonable balance with naHonal security.
All things considered, the final communiqué contains 51 pages of young,
innovaHve and internaHonally backed ideas and proposals for poliHcal acHon which are worth reading.
Asked for an advice to future delegaHons, Mina Saidze, the German Mininister of Development, said: “Never underes7mate a good prepara7on and profound research! It is always useful to have facts, data
and examples of 'best prac7ces' at hand to back up your statements. It is equally crucial to use the breaks for convincing other delegates of your proposals and thus influence the outcome of the vo7ngs.”
With this in mind, may the upcoming summit be as successful as the one in London.
Late night discussions, Heads of State Panel at the Y8, London, 2013
Policy Innovation
Contact Information
19
Policy InnovaHon e.V. is a registered German non-‐profit NGO, run mainly by German students, that organizes and facilitates the parHcipaHon of the German DelegaHon to the Y8 and Y20 Summit. Among a variety of tasks, Policy InnovaHon e.V. is responsible for the Germany-‐wide recruitment process, facilitates the selecHon of the candidates and prepares the DelegaHon over a period of four months prior to the summit. The preparaHon encompasses two workshops that include meeHngs with the office of the German Sherpa and various Federal Ministrier as well as NGO represen-‐taHves. In addiHon, Policy InnovaHon e.V. is acHvely fundrasing money in order to provide every parHcipant with financial support to help cover the parHcipaHon fee and flight costs.
Policy InnovaHon e.V.c/o HUMBOLDT-‐VIADRINA School of GovernanceWilhelmstraße 6710117 Berlinwww.policy-‐innovaHon.orginfo@policy-‐innovaHon.org
Policy InnovaHon e.V.VR-‐Nr.: VR 28061 BBoard of Directors: Philip Strothmann, Vera Pönsgen Erdinç Koç
