I RECENTLY travelled to Japan for the G7 summit. Representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US (seven of the most advanced economies in the world which account for more than a quarter of global GDP) meet annually to discuss international security, the global economy and other major international issues.

This summit was held in Cornwall in 2021.

As Secretary of State for Work and Pensions I was there to represent British interests and to talk to my counterparts about economic and employment issues.

I had a meeting with the British Chamber of Commerce focused on Anglo-Japanese trade and how best to encourage British businesses to venture into and grow in Japan, particularly in green industries and technology.

I visited a Silver Centre, which delivers support and advice to jobseekers over 60, which I found particularly useful given my mission at DWP to encourage more older workers to return to employment.

I visited a school and a Mitsubishi manufacturing plant, and participated in the opening session of the G7 Labour and Employment Ministers meetings.

I made presentations on the continued digital transformation of the workplace and how the nature of employment needs to be compatible with our climate change objectives.

I also spoke to my Japanese and Canadian opposite numbers about inclusive employment and how we can improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

My final meeting was with the International Labour Organization (www.ilo.org) and its vital work in advancing social justice and human rights, and improving health and safety standards in workplaces across the world.

While advanced liberal democracies like the UK have very high labour standards and protections, there is still a huge amount more to do to protect workers in many developing nations not least around human trafficking and child labour.

The illegal Russian war with Ukraine remained at the top of the international issues discussed at the G7, with leaders reaffirming their support for Ukraine and President Zelenskyy’s efforts to secure peace.

I did a lot of work on this when I served as Chair of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee assessing and making recommendations on the effectiveness of sanctions against Russia (and was personally sanctioned by the Kremlin as a result), so I was pleased that there were further discussions at the G7 about intensifying sanctions against Russia and ensuring they are fully enforced.

In a joint statement, the G7 condemned China’s military activities around Taiwan, North Korea’s unlawful ballistic missile launches, the military coup in Myanmar and the Taliban’s increasing restrictions on human rights and fundamental freedoms in Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women and girls.

Leaders also reiterated their clear determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and called on Israelis and Palestinians to take steps to build trust towards the realisation of a two-state solution.

More from Mel at: www.melstridemp.com  or follow him on Twitter @MelJStride.