G-8 offers vote of confidence in Japan, support for 'Arab Spring'
(From The Japan Times May 31 issue)

G8、日本への信任と「アラブの春」支援を表明

The Group of Eight summit, the annual meeting of the world's leading industrialized economies, has lost some of its shine in recent years, eclipsed as well by the rise of the Group of 20 as a forum for global economic decision making. Nonetheless, the G-8 serves important purposes, two of which were on display May 26 and 27 at the meeting hosted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the French town of Deauville.

First, it offered a vote of confidence in and support for Japan in the aftermath of the tragic events of March 11. Second, it showed that it remains relevant when tackling the most critical and sensitive political issues: The assembled leaders promised support for the 'Arab Spring' but conditioned that aid on progress toward genuine democracy.

In their final declaration, the leaders said they "are fully confident in the ability of the Japanese authorities to respond to the challenge, and build a speedy and lasting recovery, and we stand ready to assist as needed." That vote of confidence came after Prime Minister Naoto Kan, in his first overseas visit since the disaster, assured his fellow summiteers that Japan would learn the lessons of the March 11 nuclear disaster and fully recover.

In remarks to the group, Mr. Kan explained developments in Japan — the nuclear situation is "gradually stabilizing" — declaring that it was "our historic responsibility to transmit the lessons to people around the world and to future generations." He announced plans to host a global meeting on nuclear safety in 2012, in conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). That meeting would be part of a broader effort to set international standards to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants.

In addition, Mr. Kan promised to boost the share of green energy in Japan's total power supply to 20 percent by 2020. That is a sharp contrast with previous plans: As of last year, nuclear power was forecast to produce 50 percent of Japanese energy needs by 2030 and renewable energy would account for just 1 percent. In practical terms, Mr. Kan's plan means bringing down the cost of solar power generation to one-third of its present level by 2020 and one-sixth by 2030; the government aims to install solar panels in 10 million households. In their declaration, the G-8 leaders said that they "recognize the importance of learning from the Fukushima accident and its aftermath."

While the G-8 declaration also rolled out the usual policy points — condemning North Korea and Iran for their nuclear ambitions, and refusal to heed international demands for transparency and compliance with previous commitments; faith in the recovery of the global economy and the need for G-8 economies to get their fiscal houses in order; recommitting to action on climate change and biodiversity; pledging to get the Doha trade round restarted, along with other points — the focus of much of their discussion was the political transitions under way in the Middle East, a phenomenon often referred to as "the Arab Spring."

The G-8 leaders condemned the governments in Iran, Libya and Syria for their harsh repression of democratic voices. In one surprising development, Russia offered to mediate the departure of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. Moscow's shift is important as many autocrats count on Russian support to fend off demands from the West. China has partnered with Russia to shield those leaders from democratic demands; when Moscow "defects" to Western positions, Beijing is uncomfortably exposed and frequently shifts its position as well. This bodes well for those seeking democracy throughout the world.

In their declaration, the G-8 promised $20 billion in aid and debt relief to Egypt and Tunisia through multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund — if those countries continue down the path of democratic reform. Bilateral aid to the two countries was also promised. To signal that the G-8's focus is not just on those evolving countries and that democratic aspirations should be nurtured worldwide, leaders from three sub-Saharan countries that recently held elections — Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire and Niger — were invited to the meeting.

We have heard these declarations before. The test, as always, is following those fine sentiments with actions. Historically, the G-8 has fallen short of its pledges: The leaders' statement acknowledged that they did not deliver on their 2005 promise to increase aid by $19 billion. Continuing failure to do so will further marginalize the G-8; Japan's recent tragedy should make plain that action can ensure that this forum stays relevant well into the future.

G8首脳会議はG20の発足で存在意義が低下しているものの、いまだ重要な役割を果たしており、今回フランスで開催されたG8では2つの主要議題においてその力を発揮した。

まず、東日本大震災に見舞われた日本への信頼と支援が表明された。また、真の民主主義への歩みという条件つきで｢アラブの春｣への支持を述べた。

首脳宣言は、「日本が危機から立ち直り、迅速に回復することを確信する」として支援継続の用意を述べた。

菅首相は来年にIAEAと共に原子力安全に関する国際会議を開くことを提唱、原発の安全性確保のための国際基準を設定する試みの一部となるだろう。

首相はまた、日本の発電量に占める自然エネルギーの割合を2020年代に20％まで高めると述べた。2030年までに原子力が日本のエネルギーの50％、再生エネルギーが1％を占めるという昨年の計画と大違いだ。実際面では太陽電池の発電コストを2020年までに現在の3分の1、30年までに6分の1に下げることになる。1000万戸への太陽光パネル設置構想も掲げられた。

G8の宣言はほかに、北朝鮮とイランの核開発への非難、世界経済安定化の必要性、気候変動や生物多様性への取り組み、ドーハラウンド交渉の再開、そして｢アラブの春｣を取り上げた。

首脳らはイラン、リビア、シリアの民主化弾圧を非難。圧政者がロシアに頼ろうとするなか、驚くべきことにロシアがリビア紛争を終わらせるための仲介に乗り出した。

首脳らは2005年に掲げたODAに関する公約が未達成だと認めている。東日本大震災が行動の大切さを示したように、G8が今後もその重要性を保つには何より行動が必要だ。