Identifying Commitments:

International Trade

1998

G8 communiqué Birmingham 1998

1. OECD Tax Recommendations- "We will work through the Forum [on harmful tax practices] to secure effective implementation of the [OECD] recommendations.
2. OECD and non-OECD cooperation- "[We] will actively support the proposed dialogue with non-OECD members to promote the agreed principles and recommendations on global issues."
3. Simplifying Custom procedures- "[We] urge our experts to reduce that data [a harmonized and simplified data set for import and export procedures] to a minimum consistent with customs responsibilities by the end of this year. We ask our experts to complete their work, including the development of standardised electronic declarations and to encompass the related import and export data requirements of other government departments and agencies."
4. Standardized Customs Procedures- "Our countries will, drawing on each others' experience, take all steps possible to establish customs prototypes or other procedures involving all the G7 countries, which will use an agreed G7 data set, by the Summit in the year 2000 if possible."
5. World Customs Organisation- "We also welcome the significant progress made on the Action/Defis programme of the World Customs Organisation to strengthen co-operation between enforcement agencies and associations of international carriers. We encourage further development of this work."
6. Lender of Last Resort Initiative- "We called specifically on the international financial institutions to make temporary resources available to countries undertaking ambitious trade liberalisation where this gives rise to short-term balance of payments or fiscal difficulties."
7. Regional Integration initiatives in Developing Countries- "We emphasise the value of regional integration among developing countries that wish to pursue it, particularly in Africa, where many countries suffer from small and fragmented markets and poor transport facilities. We remain ready to support this process with technical assistance. We also urge the international financial institutions to develop more effective support and new instruments for regionally based initiatives."
8. WTO LDC Plan of Action- "We recognise the particular trade problems of the least developed countries. We stress the importance of effective implementation of the WTO plan of action for the least developed countries, including programmes of integrated technical assistance. We will keep progress under review at the WTO Ministerial."
9. Deregulating Electronic Commerce- "We encourage removal of inappropriate and unnecessary legal barriers to the electronic conduct of business."
10. Electronic Access To Information- "We encourage public administration to use electronic means to deliver programmes and services, promoting progress in the WTO Working Group on Transparency in Government Procurement and the reform of the WTO Government procurement Agreement, and pushing forward the work on trade facilitation in the WTO and elsewhere."

 

Identifying Commitments:

Debt Relief

1998

G8 Communiqué Birmingham 1998

1. Improved Access to Development Assistance-"We agreed to work in the OECD Development Assistance Committee, the IMF/IBRD Development Committee, the Special Programme for Africa to promote more flexible funding of aid and technical assistance programmes to developing countries, programmed in partnership with recipient countries.
2. HIPC Initiative-"..The substantial debt relief already given under Naples terms and the results achieved, with six countries already declared definitely eligible for HIPC debt relief and a further two countries likely to be declared eligible shortly. We encourage all eligible countries to take the policy measures needed to embark on the process as soon as possible so that all can be in the process by the year 2000."
3. Productive Use of Export Credits-"We agree that our export credit agencies should seek to ensure their export credits to HIPC countries are used productively."

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