Before the events of Dec. 3, 2Family photo with outreach partners of G7 Summit on June 18, 2025, in Kananaskis, Alberta, as Canada assumes the G7 presidency. During its G7 presidencies, Canada has demonstrated global leadership by developing innovative initiatives to address global security and economic crises, health issues, and development challenges. It has also inspired progress on ambitious priorities such as democracy, cyber security, oceans, and women's and girls' education in crisis situations. Most of all, there's no Joint Communique Issued in this meeting. Due to deep divisions, particularly involving the U.S., G7 leaders did not issue a unified summit communique—a rare occurrence for this forum. (Photo: Government of Canada)
From June 15 to 17, 2025, G7 leaders gathered in Kananaskis, Alberta, as Canada assumes the G7 presidency. During its G7 presi-dencies, Canada has demonstrated global leadership by developing innovative initiatives to address global security and economic crises, health issues, and development challenges.
It has also inspired progress on ambitious priorities such as demo-cracy, cyber security, oceans, and women’s and girls’ education in crisis situations.
Most of all, there’s no Joint Communique Issued in this meeting. Due to deep divisions, particularly involving the U.S., G7 leaders did not issue a unified summit communique—a rare occurrence for this forum.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, chairman of this G7 summit, said, “Five decades after its founding in 1975, the G7 continues to demonstrate its value as a platform for advanced economies to coordinate financial and economic policy, address issues of peace and security, and cooperate with international partners in response to global challenges.”
G7 Leaders focused on economic developments. In a context of rising market volatility and shocks to international trade, as well as longer-term trends toward fragmentation and global imbalances, they discussed the need for greater economic and financial stability, technological inno-vation, and an open and predictable trading regime to drive investment and growth.
They considered ways to col-laborate on global trade to boost productivity and grow their economies, emphasizing energy security and the digital transition. They acknowledged that both are underpinned by secure and responsible critical mineral supply chains and that more collaboration is required, within and beyond the G7.
Leaders undertook to safeguard their economies from unfair non-market policies and practices that distort markets and drive overcapacity in ways that are harmful to workers and businesses. This includes de-risking through diversification and reduction of critical dependencies. Leaders welcomed the new Canada-led G7 initiative-the Critical Minerals Production Alliance-working with trusted international partners to guarantee supply for advanced manufacturing and defence.
G7 Leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They recognized that Ukraine has committed to an unconditional ceasefire, and they agreed that Russia must do the same.
G7 Leaders are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions. The G7 met with President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Mark Rutte to discuss their support for a strong and sovereign Ukraine, including budgetary defence and recovery and reconstruction support.
G7 Leaders reiterated their com-mitment to peace and stability in the Middle East. They exchanged on the evolving situation, following Hamas’s terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, and the active conflict between Israel and Iran. Leaders discussed the importance of unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza, the release of all hostages and an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Leaders also talked about the need for a negotiated political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that achieves lasting peace. Leaders affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, and were clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. They underlined the importance of protecting civilians. They expressed their readiness to coordinate to safeguard the stability of international energy markets. They urged that the resolution of this crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza. G7 Leaders released a statement on recent developments between Israel and Iran.
Leaders highlighted the importance of a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific, based on the rule of law, and discussed growing economic cooperation with the region. They stressed the importance of constructive and stable relations with China, while calling on China to refrain from market distortions and harmful overcapacity, tackle global challenges and promote international peace and security. Leaders discussed their ongoing serious concerns about China’s destabilizing activities in the East and South China Seas and the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They expressed concern about DPRK’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and the need to jointly address DPRK cryptocurrency thefts fueling these programs. The need to resolve the abductions issue was also raised. Leaders acknowledged the links between crisis theatres in Ukraine, the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. Leaders discussed other instances of crisis and conflict, including in Africa and Haiti.
The G7 Leaders underscored their resolve to ensure the safety and security of communities.
They condemned foreign inter-ference, underlining the unacceptable threat of transnational repression to rights and freedoms, national security and state sovereignty.
Leaders highlighted the importance of ongoing collaboration to promote border security and counter migrant smuggling and illicit synthetic drug trafficking, noting recent successes. They stressed the need to work with countries of origin and transit countries. Leaders discussed the impacts of increasingly extreme weather events around the world. They highlighted the need for more international collaboration to prevent, fight and respond to wildfires, which are destroying homes and ecosystems, and driving pollution and emissions.
The G7 had a productive discussion on the importance of building coalitions with reliable partners – existing and new – that include the private sector, development finance institutions and multilateral development banks, to drive inclusive economic growth and advance sustainable development. The upcoming United Nations’ Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development was raised as an opportunity to continue these discussions, including on private capital mobilization.
G7 Leaders agreed to collaborate with partners on concrete outcomes that deliver for everyone.
To this end, they agreed to six joint statements including,
▲ Securing high-standard critical mineral supply chains that power the economies of the future,
▲ Driving secure, responsible and trustworthy AI adoption across public and private sectors, powering AI now and into the future, and closing digital divides,
▲ Boosting cooperation to unlock the full potential of quantum technology to grow economies, solve global challenges and keep communities secure,
▲ Mounting a multilateral effort to better prevent, fight and recover from wildfires, which are on the rise around the world,
▲ Protecting the rights of everyone in society, and the fundamental principle of state sovereignty, by continuing to combat foreign interference, with a focus on transnational repression, and
▲ Countering migrant smuggling by dismantling transnational organized crime groups.
G7 Leaders welcomed the end-orsement by many outreach partners of the Critical Minerals Action Plan and the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter.
Discussions at the Kananaskis Summit were informed by the recommendations of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC), which stressed the social and economic benefits of gender equality, and of all G7 engagement groups.
At the recent G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., there was an absence of conversation or direction about the world’s humanitarian crises.
These crises are profound. Every day, there is news about humanitarian need – hunger, conflict and dis-placement.
Since the pandemic began, global food price inflation has far outpaced headline inflation, placing a disproportionate burden on low-income countries such as Sudan and Zimbabwe.
From 2022 to 2023, global food prices rose by 13.6%, with food inflation in low-income peaking at 30% as of mid-2023.
And this year’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, published recently by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, revealed up to 720 million people around the world experienced chronic hunger in 2024.
These alarming statistics make it clear that we need swift, unified action from governments, organizations and individuals alike.
In the past, G7 summits have been powerful catalysts for initiatives to address human security challenges.
As host of the G7 in 2010, Canada led initiatives on maternal, newborn and child health. As host in 2017, it made quality education for girls and women in developing countries a focus.
And when the United Kingdom hosted the G7 in 2021, leaders agreed to the Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Crises Compact, a commitment to strengthen antici-patory action in humanitarian crises to prevent and mitigate suffering. Though famine hadn’t struck yet, the warning signs were clear. It was encouraging to see leaders at the time act before it was too late.
But four years later, as famine devastates the lives of millions of people in Sudan, G7 countries are instead pulling financial support for humanitarian work, and no moves have been made to reactivate or reaffirm the Famine Prevention Compact.
The G7 remains committed to working with domestic and inter-national stakeholders and partners, including local governments, Indi-genous Peoples, civil society, industry and international organizations, to advance shared priorities.
The G7 will continue its work under Canada’s presidency throughout 2025, and looks forward to France’s leadership in 2026.★
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