01 December 2018

G20 Leaders’ declaration: Building consensus for fair and sustainable development

At their meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, G20 leaders adopted a declaration focusing on the future of work, infrastructure for development, a sustainable food future and a gender mainstreaming strategy across the G20 agenda.

4. We welcome the strong global economic growth while recognizing it has been increasingly less synchronized between countries and some of the key risks, including financial vulnerabilities and geopolitical concerns, have partially materialized. We also note current trade issues. We reaffirm our pledge to use all policy tools to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, and safeguard against downside risks, by stepping up our dialogue and actions to enhance confidence. Monetary policy will continue to support economic activity and ensure price stability, consistent with central banks’ mandates. Fiscal policy should rebuild buffers where needed, be used flexibly and be growth-friendly, while ensuring public debt is on a sustainable path. Continued implementation of structural reforms will enhance our growth potential. We reaffirm the exchange rate commitments made by the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors last March. We endorse the Buenos Aires Action Plan.

5. We renew our commitment to work together to improve a rules-based international order that is capable of effectively responding to a rapidly changing world.

6. Transformative technologies are expected to bring immense economic opportunities, including new and better jobs, and higher living standards. The transition, however, will create challenges for individuals, businesses and governments. Policy responses and international cooperation will help ensure that the benefits of the technological transformation are widely shared. We endorse the Menu of Policy Options for the Future of Work which we will draw on, considering individual country circumstances, to: harness technology to strengthen growth and productivity; support people during transitions and address distributional challenges; secure sustainable tax systems; and ensure that the best possible evidence informs our decision-making. [....]

9. To maximize the benefits of digitalization and emerging technologies for innovative growth and productivity, we will promote measures to boost micro, small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs, bridge the digital gender divide and further digital inclusion, support consumer protection, and improve digital government, digital infrastructure and measurement of the digital economy. We reaffirm the importance of addressing issues of security in the use of ICTs. We support the free flow of information, ideas and knowledge, while respecting applicable legal frameworks, and working to build consumer trust, privacy, data protection and intellectual property rights protection. We welcome the G20 Repository of Digital Policies to share and promote the adoption of innovative digital economy business models. We recognize the importance of the interface between trade and the digital economy. We will continue our work on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and new business platforms. [...]

13. Mobilizing sustainable finance and strengthening financial inclusion are important for global growth. We welcome the Sustainable Finance Synthesis Report 2018, which presents voluntary options to support deployment of sustainable private capital. We endorse the G20 Financial Inclusion Policy Guide, which provides voluntary policy recommendations to facilitate digital financial services, taking into account country contexts and the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion Roadmap which outlines a process to streamline its work program and structure. [...]

23. Strong and effective international financial institutions help underpin growth and sustainable development. We reaffirm our commitment to further strengthening the global financial safety net with a strong, quota-based, and adequately resourced IMF at its centre. We are committed to concluding the 15th General Review of Quotas including a new quota formula by the Spring Meetings and no later than the Annual Meetings of 2019. We call on the IMF and World Bank to work with borrowers and creditors to improve the recording, monitoring and transparent reporting of public and private debt obligations. We look forward to the IMF review of programme conditionality and the review of its debt limits policy.

24. We will continue to monitor cross border capital flows and deepen our understanding of the available tools, so we can harness their benefits while also managing the risks and enhancing resilience. We will continue to take steps to address debt vulnerabilities in low income countries by supporting capacity building in public debt and financial management, and strengthening domestic policy frameworks. We will work towards enhancing debt transparency and sustainability, and improving sustainable financing practices by borrowers and creditors, both official and private, including infrastructure financing. We support ongoing work by the IMF, WBG and Paris Club on LICs debt and the continued efforts of the Paris Club towards the broader inclusion of emerging creditors. We welcome the final report of the G20 Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial Governance.

25. An open and resilient financial system, grounded in agreed international standards, is crucial to support sustainable growth. We remain committed to the full, timely and consistent implementation and finalization of the agreed financial reform agenda, and the evaluation of its effects. We will continue to monitor and, if necessary, tackle emerging risks and vulnerabilities in the financial system; and, through continued regulatory and supervisory cooperation, address fragmentation. We look forward to continued progress on achieving resilient non-bank financial intermediation. We will step up efforts to ensure that the potential benefits of technology in the financial sector can be realized while risks are mitigated. We will regulate crypto-assets for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism in line with FATF standards and we will consider other responses as needed. We thank Mr. Mark Carney for his service as FSB Chair and we welcome the appointment of Mr. Randal K Quarles, as Chair of the FSB and of Mr. Klaas Knot, as Vice Chair.

26. We will continue our work for a globally fair, sustainable, and modern international tax system based, in particular on tax treaties and transfer pricing rules, and welcome international cooperation to advance pro-growth tax policies. Worldwide implementation of the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting package remains essential. We will continue to work together to seek a consensusbased solution to address the impacts of the digitalization of the economy on the international tax system with an update in 2019 and a final report by 2020. We welcome the commencement of the automatic exchange of financial account information and acknowledge the strengthened criteria developed by the OECD to identify jurisdictions that have not satisfactorily implemented the tax transparency standards. Defensive measures will be considered against listed jurisdictions. All jurisdictions should sign and ratify the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. We continue to support enhanced tax certainty and tax capacity building in developing countries, including through the Platform for Collaboration on Tax.

27. International trade and investment are important engines of growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and development. We recognize the contribution that the multilateral trading system has made to that end. The system is currently falling short of its objectives and there is room for improvement. We therefore support the necessary reform of the WTO to improve its functioning. We will review progress at our next Summit.  [...]

29. We remain committed to prevent and fight corruption and lead by example. We agree on the new action plan 2019-2021 and endorse Principles on Preventing Corruption and Ensuring Integrity in State-Owned Enterprises and on Preventing and Managing Conflicts of Interest in the Public Sector. These will foster transparency and integrity in the public and private sectors. We will continue practical cooperation to fight corruption including in line with our G20 commitments. We will further explore the links between corruption and other economic crimes and ways to tackle them, including through cooperation on the return of persons sought for such offences and stolen assets, consistent with international obligations and domestic legal systems. We ask relevant international organizations to report back to us on those issues during the next presidency. We call for the effective implementation by all G20 countries of the UN Convention Against Corruption, including the criminalization of the bribery of foreign public officials, and note the work towards possible adherence to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

G20 Leaders' declaration, Buenos Aires

Related: Theresa May updates MPs on the 2018 G20 Summit

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