Full text of joint statement by G-8 foreign ministers

Following is the full text of a joint statement issued Thursday after a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Eight (G-8) countries in Miyazaki.

Conclusions of the G-8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting

Miyazaki, 13 July 2000 1. We, the Foreign Ministers of the G-8, met in Miyazaki on 12 and 13 July 2000. We discussed the various challenges ahead and drew the following conclusions. 2. In this era of rapid globalization, we believe that an enduring commitment to peace and the fundamental principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and an open economy will remain indispensable. We reaffirm our commitment to human security through the creation of an environment where the dignity, well-being, safety and human rights of all people are ensured. 3. This requires intensified cooperation between sovereign states, international and regional organizations and civil society. It is imperative that the United Nations continue to play a pivotal role in the century to come. We welcome the leadership of the U.N. Secretary General in the preparation of the Millennium Summit. Global ISSUES Conflict Prevention 4. We reaffirmed our commitment in Berlin in December 1999 to a sustained effort to promote a 'Culture of Prevention' throughout the global community and to develop conflict prevention initiatives. We emphasized the importance of pursing a 'Comprehensive Approach,' drawing from the range of political, security, economic, financial, environmental, social and development policies, in an integrated manner, from the pre-conflict phase to prevent conflicts from breaking out, to the post-conflict phase to ensure that conflicts do not recur. We will therefore continue to monitor carefully potential areas of armed conflict around the world. We underline the leading role of the United Nations in the prevention of conflict but recognize that the main responsibility rests with the protagonists. 5. To follow up the Berlin meeting, we endorse the following measures, that are detailed in our separate document made public today:

- dealing with the uncontrolled and illegal transfer of small arms and light weapons, as well as their destabilizing accumulation, with a view to restricting the means for armed conflict, and achieving concrete results at the U.N. Conference in 2001.

- ensuring that development policies are constructed so as to contribute to the elimination of potential causes of armed conflict.

- addressing the illicit trade in diamonds, particularly those coming from conflict zones in Africa, which provide funds for those engaging in armed conflict.

- addressing the impact of armed conflict on children including ending the use of children as soldiers

- addressing the importance of international civilian police (CIVPOL) as a critical element of conflict prevention.

We encourage further effort by all concerned and we commit ourselves to continue to cooperate closely and further identify effective measures to prevent conflicts, including supporting the role of women, combating cyber crime and developing the principles of corporate citizenship in conflict prevention. Disarmament Nonproliferation and Arms Control 6. We stress the need to maintain and further strengthen the international nonproliferation regime. We remain committed to universal application and full implementation of the NPT, which is the cornerstone for global nuclear nonproliferation and the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament. We welcome the success of the 2000 NPT Review Conference and call for full implementation of the conclusions reached at the Conference. We are pleased at the increase in the number of states which have ratified the CTBT. We cal on all those states which have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty without delay, particularly on those whose ratification is needed for its entry into force. 7. We welcome the interest of the international community in the Expanded Threat Reduction Initiative and similar efforts of the European Union and others to address arms control and nonproliferation. In particular, we commit ourselves to cooperate to establish multilateral arrangements necessary for a coordinated and integrated program for the safe management and disposition of weapon grade plutonium no longer required for defense purposes, and call on other states to join us in supporting this effort. 8. We look forward the early entry into force and full implementation of START II and the conclusion of START III as soon as possible while preserving and strengthening the ABM Treaty as a cornerstone of strategic stability and as a basis for further reductions of strategic offensive weapons, in accordance with its provisions. 9. We welcome the Final Document of the NPT Review Conference urging the Conference on Disarmament to agree on the immediate commencement of negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty with a view to their conclusion within five years. We commit ourselves to work together to meet this goal. We will make utmost efforts with others to conclude on, and in the development of technologies for mine action. We will continue encouraging these activities. Terrorism 12. We renew our commitment to fighting all forms of terrorism regardless of the perpetrator's motives. We commit our governments and our people to this struggle. All states, groups and individuals must recognize that, in accordance with the UNSCR 1269, no haven shall be given to terrorists, no support granted and no criminal act tolerated. We welcome our experts' work and encourage them to continue efforts to improve practical cooperation on counter-terrorism among G-8 states. We furthermore emphasize that international counter-terrorism cooperation remains a key factor indefeating international terrorism and will continue to work closely with other like-minded countries to this end. We call for all governments to adhere strongly to the UNSCR 1267 sanctions and for all states to work to closed.