Bill Clinton: “Introduction 1. We, the Heads of State or Government of eight major industrialised democracies and the President of the…”

“Introduction 1. We, the Heads of State or Government of eight major industrialised democracies and the President of the European Commission, met in Birmingham to discuss issues affecting people in our own and other countries. In a world of increasing globalisation we are ever more interdependent. Our challenge is to build on and sustain the process of globalisation and to ensure that its benefits are spread more widely to improve the quality of life of people everywhere. We must also ensure that our institutions and structures keep pace with the rapid technological and economic changes under way in the world. 2. Of the major challenges facing the world on the threshold of the 21st century, this Summit has focused on three: --achieving sustainable economic growth and development throughout the world in a way which, while safeguarding the environment and promoting good governance, will enable developing countries to grow faster and reduce poverty, restore growth to emerging Asian economies, and sustain the liberalisation of trade in goods and services and of investment in a stable international economy; --building lasting growth in our own economies in which all can participate, creating jobs and combating social exclusion; --tackling drugs and transnational crime which threaten to sap this growth, undermine the rule of law and damage the lives of individuals in all countries of the world. Our aim in each case has been to agree concrete actions to tackle these challenges.…”