As this was the last G8 summit meeting of the 20th century, the Japanese government was honored by the opportunity to host this milestone event, which enabled G8 leaders to engage in a serious dialogue over the world's most important economic and political issues. This year's agenda covered three broad categories, including economic growth and globalization, human and social development and global political stability.

Recognizing the global divide that has been emerging as a consequence of rapid economic globalization, the dialogue initiated in Okinawa sought to identify the policy measures that G8 member economies must implement if the whole world -- developed and developing countries alike -- is to fully participate in, and benefit from, the new technologies and other innovations that are emerging in a rapidly changing world economy.

Detailed discussions were held to explore ways in which the whole world can benefit from the rise and potential of international technology. The need to host a new trade round, which can address the dislocative consequences of globalization and other concerns raised during last year's WTO meeting in Seattle and the interim IMF/World Bank Meeting this Apri, was also emphasized. Attention was also focused on the profound effect that recent advances in biotechnology and life sciences will have on life in the future.

The Japanese government selected Okinawa as the site for this year's summit in light of its strategic location as a place of exchange among different cultures as well as the need to promote growth and development in this area. This was designed to emphasize the need for global cooperation and coordination among all economies -- in order to develop the consensus needed to ensure global harmony, peace of mind and prosperity well into the 21st century.

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) provides the following information examining these developments in greater detail.

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Toward Greater Prosperity and Global Harmony in the 21st Century

Financial and economic crises are only two of the many issues that nations face as they adapt to the velocity of change that characterizes life on the cusp of the 21st century. In addition to the need to strengthen international, as well as domestic, financial architecture, global leaders must also update trade, investment, social, educational and other regulatory standards. Many of the measures that now regulate our international behavior are based upon principles adopted fifty or more years ago --- to meet very different needs and circumstances than those now demanded by the emerging global economy. The need to enhance the positive, as well as to address the negative, implications of often poorly understood innovations, such as those that are being achieved in bio-, and information technology require different approaches and mechanisms than those of the past. Global warming and other environmental issues, shifting demographics and the spread of new forms of crime and infectious diseases represent just a few of the many real policy challenges.

Together with other economies around the world, G8 nations must develop enhanced coordination mechanisms. This is essential to promote more effective international cooperation and communication as well as to encourage the harmonization of standards and practices needed to facilitate international economic growth and development.

Among the many policy challenges and issues that were discussed among G8 leaders at the Okinawa summit, three merit special mention. These are the rise and effect of emerging information technologies, the need for a new trade round that can meet the demands of the 21st century and a more detailed understanding of the implications of recent developments in biotechnology, life sciences and the nearly complete mapping of the human genome.

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Information and Communications Technology Development

In support of this goal, G8 members committed themselves to pursuing the aims and ambitions set out in the Okinawa Charter on the Global Information Society. This Charter establishes a comprehensive outline of policy measures that can be developed to promote IT growth around the world. It emphasizes the need for:

Liberalization and Rule Setting

Global information and telecommunications markets should be made as competitive and open as possible; with measures taken so that regulations governing domestic telecommunications, transportation and home delivery practices be made more efficient, in accordance with internationally harmonized rules and standards that recognize the enhanced importance of intellectual property rights, privacy and security in the information age.

To further the development of these initiatives, the Japanese government will create an IT strategic task force of Ministers and a strategy committee encompassing the private sector to discuss these issues. This will be supplemented by a third forum, known as the Information Economy Committee of the Industrial Structural Council, which will be organized by the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Based on these discussions, Japan will promote policies that seek to:

• restructure existing legal and regulatory systems and to develop new mechanisms to promote the growth of IT and e-commerce;
• promote standards and new technologies that enhance security and consumer privacy and protection; and
• promote international cooperation between Japan and developing countries in its overseas development assistance programs.
  
  

Business Model Patents and Improved Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

To promote greater competition and innovation and otherwise enhance the development and proliferation of new technologies, G8 members emphasized the importance of IPR issues. They welcomed joint work on IT and business model patents and encouraged international coordination to facilitate the development, and protection of IT, patents throughout the world.

Based on the results of the trilateral experts meeting held last June, international cooperation will be enhanced to simplify patent application procedures, utilizing a cross-border filing system that will allow individuals to more easily investigate patents that have been filed previously in other G8 economies. This will contribute to the development of a Legal System on International Patent Applications, which will facilitate searches for business model and other technology-oriented patents.

Japanese patent regulators, under the authority of MITI, are now meeting to develop measures and suggestions in advance of an informal meeting of the heads of G7 patent agencies, which will be held this September, and a trilateral meeting of U.S., Japanese and European patent agencies in October/November, where detailed discussions will be initiated to address these important issues.

Measures to Bridge the Global Digital Divide

Recognizing that access to technology is a primary hurdle to allow all economies to participate in a global technological revolution, G8 leaders established a Digital Opportunities Task Force (dot force). This Task Force will report its findings at the next G8 meeting in order to recommend domestic, as well as global, initiatives that can help to bridge the international information and knowledge divide.

To assist developing economies in their efforts to adjust to the demands of globalization and to address their need to gain better access to IT products and services, the Japanese government approved a $15 billion development assistance package on July 14, 2000 that will be distributed over the next five years. It will seek to promote:

• IT-friendly policies and legal systems;
• information and telecommunications infrastructure development;
  
• human resource development; and
  
• active utilization of IT in its overseas development assistance efforts.

The Japanese government has also allocated an additional $3 billion in development assistance to help fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and other infectious diseases in the developing world.

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Toward a Trade Round for the 21st Century

It was also clearly written that the least-developed countries be granted improved access to G8 markets and that capacity-building programs be expanded and strengthened, in order that developing countries be able to develop the capabilities needed to grow and prosper in a global world economy. Special attention was also focused on the important role of the IMF and World Bank and the need to enhance the global cooperation that will strengthen the effectiveness of these and other multilateral institutions.

MITI is also now engaged in preparatory work to help in planning for a new round that will focus not only on market access, but also on rules issues such as anti-dumping, investment and e-commerce, which are extremely important to private sector firms around the world. Additionally, MITI is now working to build strong momentum toward the launch of a new round of trade negotiations through initiatives and recommendations that will be presented for discussion at the ASEM, APEC and AEM+3 meetings this fall.

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The Increasing Importance of Biotechnology and Life Sciences

The Japanese government is now moving to encourage the international cooperation needed to facilitate post genome sequence research and its patent agency is determined to play a key role in developing internationally harmonized standards that can be used to guide the patentability of DNA. These issues will be further discussed at the G7 and trilateral patent agency meetings to be held this fall.

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