Policy paper

G7 London interior commitments (accessible version)

Updated 24 December 2021

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

Opening

1. We, the G7 Interior and Security Ministers and senior officials, along with representatives from the European Union and the Secretary General of INTERPOL, met on 7 to 9 September 2021 in Lancaster House, London. Under the chairmanship of the Rt. Hon. Priti Patel, United Kingdom Secretary of State for the Home Department, we discussed the complex challenges facing our nations.

2. We are committed to protecting our democratic and open societies, including by protecting our people from terrorism and violent extremism, serious harms or violence enabled or exacerbated by the internet, and serious and organised crime. We are also committed to strengthening our national and border security and addressing corruption.

3. In these Ministerial Commitments, known as the “London Interior Commitments”, we build on Interior and Security Ministers’ commitments in 2017, 2018 and 2019 as we set out our ambitious agenda for addressing the critical issues based on our shared values.

01: Taking action to prevent and combat violent extremism and terrorism

4. As we approach the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 and reflect on more recent terrorist attacks, we are reminded of the need for urgent global action to work collectively to counter all forms of violent extremism and terrorism, regardless of ideology, while respecting human rights and the rule of law, including the protection of freedom of expression.

01.A Countering all forms of violent extremism and terrorism

5. We reaffirm our commitment to help improve the capacity of the international community to fight terrorism and to counter violent extremism while promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. We welcome the Roma Lyon Group’s work to update the Ise-Shima Action Plan.

6. We strongly support information sharing with key partners in order to counter the changing terrorism threat, including from Afghanistan. Where possible and appropriate, information shared should be used and circulated to the greatest extent, being made available on border systems so that it can be used to take appropriate action against individuals of interest.

7. We acknowledge the need to address the enduring threat posed by ideologically-motivated violent extremism and terrorism, including by self declared Islamist terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates. We are committed to ensuring Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist threats against our countries, our partners, and our interests, and we will continue to fight terrorism with resolve and solidarity.

8. We also recognise the rising concern of the threat from violent extremism and terrorism referred to by some governments as extreme right-wing terrorism, by some governments as far-right extremism and by others as a form of racially, ethnically or other ideologically motivated violent extremism or terrorism, which may incorporate a range of hateful, xenophobic, misogynistic, anti-government, anti-authority and other violent grievances that may lead to mobilisation of violence. We remain united in our commitment to counter all forms of violent extremism and terrorism.

9. To better understand and counter this threat, we recognise the importance of robust data collection and analysis, consistent with applicable privacy and civil liberties laws. Domestic and international partnerships and tools are needed to counter the threat online and offline, while respecting human rights and obligations under international and domestic law. We commit to continue supporting evolving domestic and international approaches to tackling all forms of terrorism and violent extremism and share relevant findings, best practices, methodologies, and strategies. We commit to strengthening our collaboration within the G7 and with relevant stakeholders where necessary.

01.B Preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online

10.We believe it is important that industry addresses all forms of terrorist and violent extremist content in a robust way.

11. Strong collaboration and coordination between relevant stakeholders is necessary to properly understand and tackle the evolving threat online, and we endorse the valuable role of organisations and initiatives such as the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, and the Christchurch Call to Action in developing comprehensive responses.

12. Our G7 Statement on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism Online, in Annex 1, outlines the key priorities that we - collectively as governments, industry and civil society - need to address to tackle this issue, whilst retaining our strong commitment to promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms

01.C Using passenger name record data to prevent, detect and investigate terrorism and serious crime

13. We commit to advocating global implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for the responsible use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data.

14. We commit to demonstrate our own compliance with the ICAO standards by providing our respective best practices in a common template to further a consistent approach to the collection, use, processing and protection of PNR data.

15. To support the continued implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2396, we will assist efforts, including through the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme, to build PNR processing capability among the international community that complies with the ICAO standards and to further the global response against terrorism and serious crime.

02: Protecting people against harms enabled or exacerbated by the internet

16. Tackling exploitation of the internet by criminals, terrorists and others who cause harm is a growing priority, especially as both technology and transnational serious and organised crime evolve. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the increase in global use of the internet thereby escalating the threat of online sexual exploitation and abuse of children and gender based violence, which can disproportionately affect women and girls.

17. We believe that tackling these evolving harms requires a global response based on common global standards, and that by working together, we will increase the security of our citizens and create a safer online environment for all.

18. We endorse the G7 Digital and Technology Ministers’ Internet Safety Principles. We welcome the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ acknowledgment of the importance of focusing on ending Violence against Women and Girls, and our collective responsibility to do more to address sexual exploitation and abuse in the humanitarian and development sector.

02.A Internet technology industry and public safety

19. Online privacy and security safeguards, such as strong encryption, are critical to protecting our citizens online and serve a vital purpose in repressive states to protect journalists, human rights defenders and vulnerable people. But citizens should also be able to go about their lives safely, and internet technology companies who design and deliver services without considering the implications for the safety of our citizens risk enabling or exacerbating other harms, online and offline.

20. We believe that it is right to expect internet technology companies to make decisions that reflect and take into account public safety protections; and that such decisions should be informed by consultation with representatives of Government in democratic societies.

21. We believe that services should take steps both to secure and protect the confidentiality of digital communications and individuals’ online activities and to protect public safety. We reject that, in democratic societies with strong human rights laws and procedural safeguards, there is inevitably a choice to be made between either protecting the confidentiality of digital communications and other activities or protecting our citizens from harm.

22. We will work together to maintain tightly controlled lawful access to communications content that is vital to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes including terrorism and child abuse.

23. We will work in partnership with internet technology companies to do this to protect the safety of our citizens, and we call upon such companies to recognise and act upon this responsibility.

24. We will aim to share respective approaches when considering further regulation within our existing domestic regulatory frameworks, based upon existing international and domestic legal obligations, including international human rights law, and relevant commitments.

02.B Preventing violence against women and girls

25. We condemn all forms of gender-based violence, harassment, and abuse which disproportionately affects women and girls. We recognise this permeates lives, both online and offline.

26. As lockdowns in response to COVID-19 have seen 4 billion people sheltering at home, UN Women has described a shadow pandemic of violence against women (2020). Given the harms of violence against women and girls, the G7 recognise that addressing violence against women and girls – as well as other forms of gender-based violence – needs to form part of COVID-19 recovery.

27. We will strengthen our efforts to tackle the attitudes and behaviours which underpin this violence. Education programmes are required to change attitudes, and early interventions to prevent harmful behaviours escalating and to enhance protective behaviours.

28. Whilst there is growing evidence of the most effective methodologies for these programmes, there is a need to expand the evidence base. We therefore commit to sharing approaches, best practice and evidence of what works in preventing violence. Violence against women and girls is unacceptable and preventable.

29. We affirm the importance of tackling existing and emerging online forms of gender-based violence, which disproportionately affect women and girls. Combatting the misuse of technology and the internet to perpetrate such violence requires collective action from industry, governments, academia, the violence against women and girls prevention sector and civil society.

30. We recognise the role of legislation, government policy and industry action and we endorse our Statement of Principles to Tackle Online Violence against Women and Girls in Annex 2.

31. To help drive forward this work, we commit to lead international efforts to tackle this threat and urge governments to consult technology companies and civil society stakeholders to build on these principles and explore solutions, possibly through the development of a voluntary framework, to help prevent platforms and services being misused.

02.C Preventing child sexual exploitation and abuse

32. Nothing is more important than keeping children safe. Child sexual exploitation and abuse is a horrifying crime that takes place on a shocking scale and can devastate the lives of victims and survivors. It continues to grow and evolve, and is inherently transnational in its nature, with victims, offenders, internet servers and companies often based in different countries. The G7 recognise this crime requires a global response, one that is gender-informed and based on common global standards and collaboration.

33. Our Action Plan to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Annex 2 sets out the steps we will take to go further in our collective response to protect children from this abuse both at home and around the world, whilst ensuring industry plays its part.

34. We commit to further strengthen domestic regimes, law enforcement cooperation and information sharing across the G7, targeting the online and offline spaces in which child sexual exploitation and abuse offenders operate and bringing them to justice.

03: Ensuring security is not undermined by the threat of serious and organised crime

35. The impact of Serious and Organised crime remains a significant threat to both our national and international security. Addressing this threat has been an increasing priority through the COVID-19 Pandemic.

36. Our response requires a greater understanding of the threat as well as an enhanced mission to support global law enforcement co-operation; expanding the use of INTERPOL capabilities to respond to global crime threats and to tackle crimes that affect the environment. Tackling money laundering and illicit finance is crucial in disrupting serious and organised crime networks. We also support the Roma-Lyon Group with their important work to address the emerging threat from synthetic opioids.

03.A Supporting United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime

37. We recognise the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and its Protocols as the principal international instrument in the collective global fight against transnational organised crime.

38. We welcome the successful launch of the Mechanism for the Review of the Implementation of the UNTOC and the Protocols thereto, in October 2020 following the Tenth session of the UNTOC Conference of the Parties in Vienna. We recognise the fundamental role of UNTOC and its Review Mechanism in assisting countries to collectively prevent and combat the threat of transnational organised crime by providing opportunities for countries to share best practice, knowledge and experiences; address gaps and challenges; identify specific needs for technical assistance and capacity building, as well as find areas for strengthening international cooperation.

39. We recognise the role of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as a guardian of UNTOC and support the UNODC in the implementation of the UNTOC Review Mechanism. We welcome the UNODC’s efforts, including, where possible, in partnership with the G7, to support States Parties in the development and implementation of effective strategies and legislation to strengthen the global implementation of UNTOC, address identified gaps and challenges, and more effectively prevent and combat transnational organised crime.

40. We stress the importance of gender and human rights perspectives and support their continued integration into the implementation of UNTOC and its Protocols, and welcome the support and participation of relevant stakeholders, including representatives of civil society, academia, and the private sector in the UNTOC Review Mechanism, particularly in the working groups.

03.B Supporting INTERPOL

41. Reflecting our commitment to support INTERPOL, we intend to further develop INTERPOL’s tools and services and ensure all member countries can access these. To this end, we will look to provide information, expertise and operational support, and co-ordinate funding, including:

• Aligning G7 strategic funding contributions to avoid duplication and presenting a united G7 approach, where possible supporting core INTERPOL capabilities such as I-CORE. Providing secondments and expertise, where appropriate.
• Increasing provision of data and analysis to G7 inclusive Crime Analysis Files (CAFs), including the proactive promotion and use of the International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database. Identifying joint operational opportunities to combat global threats of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
• Increasing provision of biometric data, particularly DNA and fingerprint data where appropriate.
• Increasing contributions to CAFs to support threat assessments, particularly on emerging criminal threats and high priority threat areas, whilst safeguarding sensitive investigative and operational resources. Exploring increasing the inter-connection of databases for law enforcement purposes, whilst remaining compliant with applicable international obligations and national data protection laws and paying close attention to information exchange security.
• Supporting INTERPOL initiatives to engage and co-operate with other international organisations, such as EUROPOL, NATO, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

42. We are committed to working together towards a collective approach to the use and treatment of INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions, increasing operational confidence and co-operation. We will seek to align our policies via a voluntary set of operating principles, while respecting national legal systems. Where appropriate we will look to align approaches for use of Green and Blue alerts, and associated actions taken upon receipt.

43. We commit to strengthen our collective efforts to deter the misuse of INTERPOL Notices to improperly target and detain individuals for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including through supporting INTERPOL’s use of corrective measures, as appropriate, and increasing outreach on this issue.

44. We commit to support INTERPOL’s organisational reform initiatives by taking a leading role in governance and standards working groups, actively supporting INTERPOL’s strategic planning. We will demonstrate a collective view whenever possible.

45. We support the strengthened role of the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files as the critical access and redress body, and the effective remedy for individuals contesting INTERPOL records.

46. We support the work of INTERPOL’s Notice and Diffusions Task Force to conduct more stringent reviews of all Red Notices and wanted person diffusions prior to publication and to ensure their compliance with the Interpol Rules for the Processing of Data.

03.C Tackling the serious and organised crimes that affect the environment

47. We welcome the G7 2030 Nature Compact and Leaders’ commitment to a stepping up of efforts to counter crimes that affect the environment. These crimes include the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT), illegal logging, illegal mining, and unlawful activities related to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing and illicit waste trafficking. It is vital, now more than ever, that we disrupt transnational criminal networks from exploiting our natural resources for profit.

48. We continue to build upon the Kyoto Declaration on Advancing Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law: towards the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to collectively adopt effective measures to prevent and combat crimes that affect the environment, consistent with the commitments we had made together in Paris in 2019.

49. We welcome the significant work of key global partners on these issues, at both international and regional level, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL, and others. We will continue to collectively support and, where applicable strengthen, their efforts to combat crimes that affect the environment.

50. Having reviewed the UNODC’s World Wildlife Crime Report, which provides a robust evidence base of patterns and challenges of wildlife crimes, we commit to strengthen criminal justice capabilities in source, transit and destination countries. We will work together to exchange best practice and recommendations, using the experts’ network created after Paris in 2019.

51. We fully endorse the tasking from G7 Leaders, within the 2030 Nature Compact, to respond to the 2020 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report on money laundering risks relating to IWT. We strongly condemn those who profit from the illicit finance generated by IWT. We commit to take action, together with other relevant Ministers, to contribute to our Governments’ efforts to combat illicit finance from IWT in line with the proposed actions in the FATF report. We will involve, as appropriate, the private sector and/or civil society groups in our plans, to make the most of their experience.

52. We support the G7 Climate and Environment Ministers’ commitment to use the International Consortium on Combatting Wildlife Crime’s (ICCWC) Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit. We also welcome the commitment of G7 Finance Ministers to implement and strengthen beneficial ownership registers, which can be effective tools to combat illicit finance associated with crimes that affect the environment.

04: Supporting global action to confront emerging issues for national and border security

53. Confronting emerging issues which pose a threat to our national and border security, including those arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, requires us to take collective action so we can build back better for all.

54. Recent events have reasserted the need for global action in tackling cybercrime and the criminal ransomware networks. We also recognise the need to use our united voice to tackle irregular migration and clamp down on those organised criminal gangs who put people’s lives in danger through migrant smuggling and human trafficking.

04.A Fighting cybercrime, including ransomware

55. We build upon the commitment of G7 Leaders to urgently address the escalating shared threat from criminal ransomware networks. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an unprecedented increase in cybercrime globally, including ransomware incidents targeting businesses, schools, hospitals and other critical national infrastructure. We recognise the need to scale up efforts to tackle the growing threat of ransomware and note the need for collaboration. By working together, we can build global resilience to ransomware incidents and combat ransomware through law enforcement action, innovative policy solutions and international cooperation.

56. For this reason, we commit to holding an Extraordinary Senior Officials Forum on ransomware by the end of 2021. This Forum should bring together expertise from international organisations such as the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, Financial Action Taskforce, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, INTERPOL, Council of Europe and Europol, foreign, justice and interior ministries from across the G7 to find practical policy solutions to this issue. We task our governments and the Roma-Lyon Group to develop proposals on technical assistance, policy cooperation and raising public awareness.

57. We will work together to escalate significantly the costs of carrying out such criminal activity in order to protect our citizens from this threat.

04.B Addressing Irregular Migration and Forced Displacement

58. The G7 is united by its commitment to respond effectively to irregular migration which endangers lives of the most vulnerable and places burdens on host and transit countries. The G7 strongly condemns the instrumentalisation of vulnerable people and migrants for political purposes.

59. We are all gravely concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and we will cooperate together, and with countries in the region hosting refugees, on a coordinated approach to access safe and regular routes for protection and resettlement. Protection of the vulnerable is a priority and underpins the need to enhance cooperation. All foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorisation (granted following relevant checks) from our countries should be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner to points of departure and travel outside the country. We recognise the important economic and social benefits that migrants who come through regular channels can bring to our countries, while reaffirming our determination to combat irregular migration and smugglers’ networks.

60. To develop an effective and sustainable response to irregular migration, we must complement our enforcement efforts with understanding migration drivers upstream and addressing the root causes and enablers of irregular migration and forced displacement. We commit to applying this holistic approach upstream, adopting a collaborative whole-of-route approach.

61. To address challenges in an effective way, we intend to work closely with countries of origin, transit and destination for refugees and migrants sustainably and, remaining cognisant of unique country context.

62. We recognise the importance of engaging on evolving thematic migration issues, including climate change, gender equality, human rights, sustainable reintegration, and the rights of children.

63. We underline the important role of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and other development finance in promoting sustainable economic development, and in sharing best practice on the use of ODA and other development finance to have a transformative impact on those in genuine need.

64. We are committed to countering crimes that profit from irregular migration, such as migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, reaffirming previous G7 commitments and promoting the Palermo Protocols. We value the delivery of a human rights approach that identifies and protects the most at-risk and punishes transnational crime perpetrators. We will continue to work across private and public sectors, as well as civil society, to protect the most vulnerable, especially women and children.

65. Our countries have a strong and proud history of offering sanctuary to those in need in times of crisis. Our values demonstrate our commitment to freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Welcoming those fleeing persecution, conflict or oppression through safe and regular routes is a key demonstration of this. These routes save lives and offer safety and stability to those most in need of protection.

66. We are united in our support to those who have been forced to flee their homes because of threats of persecution, violence and oppression within Afghanistan. G7 members commit to taking swift action to develop and strengthen safe and regular routes to protect individuals at risk. Building on the principles in the Global Compact on Refugees, and learning lessons from the Syria response, we are determined to work together to enable those in need of protection to find safety and to rebuild their lives. We recognise that certain groups will be at increased risk of persecution, and we will work together to ensure women, girls, persecuted minorities and others who face threats of oppression and violence are provided the support and protection they deserve. We will seek to support the neighbouring and transit countries, hosting large numbers of migrants and refugees, to reinforce their capacities to provide protection.

67. Recognising the pivotal role our communities play in supporting those we welcome, we pledge to implement new community sponsorship programmes, or endeavour to expand and refine existing programmes; whilst supporting other states to do the same. We also encourage strengthening partnerships with civil society and providing opportunities for those with lived experiences to meaningfully inform the development of policies and programmes that are relevant to them.

68. We reaffirm our commitment to the principle of non-refoulement and upholding the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol. As the numbers of forcibly displaced individuals reach unprecedented levels, we call for fair and efficient asylum systems to ensure the international community can continue to respond to humanitarian needs and that those who genuinely qualify for protection receive it. This includes a stronger focus on protection in regions of origin to ensure those who need protection can find it as quickly as possible.

69. We recognise the need to continually improve the effectiveness and efficiency of immigration enforcement measures and international cooperation on the expeditious removal, to their respective countries of nationality or transit, of individuals who arrived via irregular pathways and are not found to need international protection.

70. We are committed to working with local authorities and organisations in states of origin and transit, with a view to ensuring that those who return to their respective countries can do so in a safe and dignified way and into a secure environment.

71. Organised criminal networks exist, who facilitate dangerous journeys of migrants and asylum seekers, taking higher risk routes during COVID-19 border closures. Whilst upholding our international obligations, we call for firmness in dealing with this ruthless criminality that puts lives in danger, diminishes the rule of law, and erodes public confidence in our immigration systems. We commit to continued intelligence cooperation among our countries, and regular engagement with key partner countries to tackle this growing issue of concern.

72. We underscore the need to increase use of the existing legal framework available to address these crimes, particularly the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and its Protocols on the Smuggling of Migrants and on Trafficking in Persons.

73. These efforts will help to protect the integrity of our asylum systems, ensuring that they can provide protection to those individuals in need of it.

05: Strengthening international action against corruption and kleptocracies

74. Corruption and illicit finance enable kleptocracy to flourish at the expense of open economies. As a unique forum of leading economies, financial centres and democratic societies, the G7 can act more strongly together to tackle this threat, encouraging leaders to take action.

75. Based on our shared values, we commit to convening a stronger, more unified voice in international anti-corruption standards, enhancing operational law enforcement co-operation. This includes through strengthened support for the International Anti-Corruption Co-ordination Centre and leading global efforts to ensure public policies address emerging threats. Our commitments are set out in Annex 3.

Closing

76. The threats to our publics are evolving and the global pandemic has played a significant part in this. This is an important time for the G7 to show international leadership, building back better together for the benefit of all our people. We commit to continued cooperation and collective action to address these challenges, and to continue to protect our democracies and the safety of all. We support our officials to ensure our commitments are delivered and there is continued collaboration between our governments including through the Roma-Lyon Group.

Annexes

• Annex 1: statement on preventing and countering violent extremism and terrorism online
• Annex 2: protecting against online exploitation, violence and abuse
• Annex 3: statement against corruption and kleptocracies