World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting - Mailing list
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Note: The G-8 is another international forum where firearms have come up. We
continue to monitor this.
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G-8 sherpas eye 'globalization for all people' for Okinawa summit
.c Kyodo News Service
KYOTO, Jan. 23 (Kyodo) - The Group of Eight (G-8) major industrialized
nations focused on ''globalization for all people'' as their ''sherpas'' held
full-fledged discussions Sunday in their first preparatory meeting for the
annual summit to be hosted by Japan in July in Okinawa Prefecture.
The sherpas, personal representatives of the G-8 leaders charged with
preparing the agenda and other business of the July 21-23 summit, gathered
Sunday for substantive work after a get-acquainted working dinner Saturday.
The G-8 nations are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia
and the United States.
Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami, who chaired the sherpas
meeting, presented fact sheets and agenda working papers to kick off the
six-month preparatory process, G-8 sources said.
As a major agenda item for the Okinawa summit, Tokyo took up what a Japanese
official described as ''globalization for all people'' to deal with both
detrimental and positive aspects of advancing information technology and the
integration of the world's economies.
Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has repeatedly said he wants to have the
summit reflect the opinions of Asian nations, which remain concerned about
the negative impact of globalization due to the prolonged financial crisis in
the region.
East Asian nations have expressed interest in the summit addressing such
issues as development, poverty and social safety nets for human security in
connection with economic globalization, Japanese officials said.
G-8 officials said they believe it necessary to consider measures to counter
the concentration of wealth in a certain group of nations, companies and
individuals resulting from increased economic efficiency made possible
through globalization.
The sherpas are also expected to review a chairman's statement issued
Saturday after a meeting in Tokyo of finance ministers and central bankers of
the Group of Seven (G-7) major industrialized nations comprising G-8 members
minus Russia.
The G-7 statement identified issues for the Okinawa summit such as debt
relief for heavily indebted poor countries, reforms of the international
financial architecture, policy measures on opportunities and challenges
linked to further advancement of information technology and economic
globalization.
The G-8 sources said the sherpas also envision other ''human security''
issues, including conflict prevention, weapons nonproliferation, elimination
of anti-personnel land mines, employment, and measures to deal with
international organized crime and infectious diseases.
Japan and Britain are also working together to prepare a paper on measures to
deal with the aging population, featuring ways to encourage retired and
senior citizens to get more involved in economic and social activities, the
Japanese officials said.
Nogami is expected to call on other G-8 partners for an early resolution of
disputes over the planned next round of multilateral trade negotiations under
the World Trade Organization to prevent it from overshadowing the Okinawa
summit.
''We hope the next round will start before the summit or at least a G-8
agreement toward launching it is reached by then,'' a Japanese official said.
(Emphasis added)
AP-NY-01-23-00 0122EST
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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
_________________________________________________
Note: The G-8 is another international forum where firearms have come up. We
continue to monitor this.
______________________________________________________________________
G-8 sherpas eye 'globalization for all people' for Okinawa summit
.c Kyodo News Service
KYOTO, Jan. 23 (Kyodo) - The Group of Eight (G-8) major industrialized
nations focused on ''globalization for all people'' as their ''sherpas'' held
full-fledged discussions Sunday in their first preparatory meeting for the
annual summit to be hosted by Japan in July in Okinawa Prefecture.
The sherpas, personal representatives of the G-8 leaders charged with
preparing the agenda and other business of the July 21-23 summit, gathered
Sunday for substantive work after a get-acquainted working dinner Saturday.
The G-8 nations are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia
and the United States.
Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami, who chaired the sherpas
meeting, presented fact sheets and agenda working papers to kick off the
six-month preparatory process, G-8 sources said.
As a major agenda item for the Okinawa summit, Tokyo took up what a Japanese
official described as ''globalization for all people'' to deal with both
detrimental and positive aspects of advancing information technology and the
integration of the world's economies.
Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has repeatedly said he wants to have the
summit reflect the opinions of Asian nations, which remain concerned about
the negative impact of globalization due to the prolonged financial crisis in
the region.
East Asian nations have expressed interest in the summit addressing such
issues as development, poverty and social safety nets for human security in
connection with economic globalization, Japanese officials said.
G-8 officials said they believe it necessary to consider measures to counter
the concentration of wealth in a certain group of nations, companies and
individuals resulting from increased economic efficiency made possible
through globalization.
The sherpas are also expected to review a chairman's statement issued
Saturday after a meeting in Tokyo of finance ministers and central bankers of
the Group of Seven (G-7) major industrialized nations comprising G-8 members
minus Russia.
The G-7 statement identified issues for the Okinawa summit such as debt
relief for heavily indebted poor countries, reforms of the international
financial architecture, policy measures on opportunities and challenges
linked to further advancement of information technology and economic
globalization.
The G-8 sources said the sherpas also envision other ''human security''
issues, including conflict prevention, weapons nonproliferation, elimination
of anti-personnel land mines, employment, and measures to deal with
international organized crime and infectious diseases.
Japan and Britain are also working together to prepare a paper on measures to
deal with the aging population, featuring ways to encourage retired and
senior citizens to get more involved in economic and social activities, the
Japanese officials said.
Nogami is expected to call on other G-8 partners for an early resolution of
disputes over the planned next round of multilateral trade negotiations under
the World Trade Organization to prevent it from overshadowing the Okinawa
summit.
''We hope the next round will start before the summit or at least a G-8
agreement toward launching it is reached by then,'' a Japanese official said.
(Emphasis added)
AP-NY-01-23-00 0122EST
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
