Without a doubt, the Delegates of the economy track proved to be dedicated, highly motivated and qualified to discuss and advocate for the inter- ests of the youth in the G7 countries and beyond. The lively discussions during the deliberations benefitted from the insights of experts such as Dr Florian Kern of the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and Prof Marius Olivier from the International Institute for Social Law and Policy (IISLP). Another beneficial addition was the participation of the partner Delegations from Indo- nesia, Senegal, South Africa and Ukraine. Thanks to their contributions, the discussion gained a multitude of insights and viewpoints which, in the end, improved the recommendations in the Youth7 Communiqué. The strong financial and organisational support of the BMFSFJ was crucial to make the Youth7 a success and ensured connection to institutional politics. Beyond that, the handover of the Youth7 Communiqué to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz as well as various meetings at the Federal Chancellery ensured a continuous dialogue at the level of the Youth7 Co-Chairs and the G7 Sherpa. However, in many high-level interactions with engagement groups and political stakeholders, it emerged that there was a lack of preparation, interest in and understanding of the role of Youth7 as one of the official engagement groups. We were at times faced with officials that referred to Youth7 as a “simulation”, while others were entirely igno- rant of the very existence of Youth7. By contrast, the opportunity to give a speech and engage with the G7 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting (LEMM) in Wolfsburg, as well as bilateral meetings with the German and Japanese Minis- ters, set an important precedent for the inclusion of engagement groups in general and youth in particular. This gave us the opportunity to present our demands on labour and social policy in a high- level but also professionally interested format. For other topics within the economy track, we had the opportunity to engage at administrative level All the G7 documents had one thing in common: While they were well intentioned, we found a frightening ignorance of youth-specific issues, a lack of concrete commitment, and no qualitatively creative measures beyond some more-or-less of the status quo.
More than ever before, these grievances highlight the necessity of a political framework that enables the creation of high-quality employment. Equitable labour standards, access to free general and profes- sional education for everyone, and the translation of technological innovation into safe and more innovative workplaces can contribute towards this goal. Also, while creation of high-quality jobs and technological innovation can be mutually invig- orating processes, they need to be supported by strategic policies, requiring an active government and policies to procure the funds necessary for investments. At the same time, the pandemic has put a heavy strain on public finances. Future fiscal policies therefore have to balance the needs for climate action, growth and equity. The Youth7 Communiqué calls for inclusive economic policies along three main axes. "Economic Advancement through Education and Innovation" outlines future policy frameworks for investment in areas that lead to sustainable growth, particularly making use of undeveloped talent through educa- tion and fostering innovation in key technologies. "Towards a Sustainable and Equitable Economic Order" demands the advancement and adoption of fair labour standards and social protection in a diversifying economy, concerning in partic- ular youth employment and mental health, and assuming global responsibility for indebted and developing countries. "Responsible Markets and Fair Fiscal Policy" calls for designing market, tax and transparency policies that facilitate the global transformation to net zero. This year’s German G7 Presidency was special in many ways. We live in a time of multiple crises. The Covid-19 pandemic was followed by a dramatic increase in the cost of living, exacerbated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In other words, the issues to discuss at the Y7 summit were plentiful and pressing. Furthermore, the Youth7 Summit in Berlin was the first in-person event of its kind since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Therefore, we had the pleasure to get to know each other twice, first at the preparatory online working sessions where we had to coordinate time zones from Japan to New York, and again later at the in-person summit in Berlin. We were able to build a construc- tive work environment on the shared values – such as democracy and multilateral solidarity – of the youth Delegates.
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