UK to host G7 Summit in Cornwall
Prime Ministers and Presidents from the world’s leading democracies will come together in Cornwall in June to address shared challenges, from beating coronavirus and tackling climate change, to ensuring that people everywhere can benefit from open trade, technological change and scientific discovery.
The Prime Minister will use the first in-person G7 summit in almost two years to ask leaders to seize the opportunity to build back better from coronavirus, uniting to make the future fairer, greener and more prosperous.
The G7 – which is made up of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the USA and the EU – is the only forum where the world’s most influential and open societies and advanced economies are brought together for close-knit discussions.
The Prime Minister’s ambition is to use the G7 to intensify cooperation between the world’s democratic and technologically advanced nations. To that end, he has invited leaders from Australia, India and South Korea to attend as guest countries to deepen the expertise and experience around the table. Between them, the 10 leaders represent over 60% of the people living in democracies around the world.
The choice of Cornwall as the location for the Summit will mean the eyes of the world are on the beautiful, historic and innovative region. The leaders’ meeting itself will be held in the coastal town of Carbis Bay, supported by neighbouring St Ives and other towns across the region. The whole of Cornwall will reap the benefits of hosting the G7.
The region is already a powerhouse for green innovation, providing an ideal setting for a Summit focused on building back better from the coronavirus pandemic.
Visit Cornwall estimates the total economic impact for the county will be £50 million, including through an increase in future tourism. The Government will also work closely with Cornish leaders and institutions to ensure the Summit leaves a long term legacy for the region, reaping the benefits of hosting the G7 for years to come.
The UK will also host a number of meetings throughout the year between Government Ministers from the G7, both virtually and in different locations across the UK – ensuring many areas of the country experience the benefits of the UK’s G7 Presidency. These ministerial summits will cover economic, environmental, health, trade, technology, development and foreign policy issues.
The Prime Minister said:
As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been the catalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face. From cancelling developing world debt to our universal condemnation of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the world has looked to the G7 to apply our shared values and diplomatic might to create a more open and prosperous planet.
Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced. It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future.
Cornwall is the perfect location for such a crucial summit. Two hundred years ago Cornwall’s tin and copper mines were at the heart of the UK’s industrial revolution and this summer Cornwall will again be the nucleus of great global change and advancement. I’m very much looking forward to welcoming world leaders to this great region and country.
2021 marks a crucial year of international leadership for the UK. In addition to the G7 Summit, during February the UK will assume the Presidency of the UN Security Council, and later this year the UK will host COP26 in Glasgow and a global education conference aimed at getting children in the developing world into school.