KANANASKIS, AB, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - We, the Leaders of the G7, are deeply concerned by growing reports of transnational repression (TNR). TNR is an aggressive form of foreign interference whereby states or their proxies attempt to intimidate, harass, harm or coerce individuals or communities outside their borders.
TNR undermines national security, state sovereignty, the safety and human rights of victims, and principles of international law. It has a chilling effect in our countries. TNR often impacts dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders, religious minorities, and those identified as part of diaspora communities.
We condemn all acts of TNR including but not limited to those involving:
- Threats or acts of physical violence such as harassment, assault, abduction or assassination;
- Misuse of cooperation with other foreign states, international bodies and intergovernmental organizations, in order to detain, forcibly return, or repress targets, such as leveraging extraterritorial law application and counterterrorism and investigative tools;
- Forced return by confiscating passports, invalidating documents, or denying consular services;
- Digital transnational repression, such as doxing and sexualized smear campaigns particularly targeting women, to induce compliance, silence, threaten, discredit, or retaliate;
- Misuse of spyware and cyber tools to engage in surveillance, and to enable physical targeting and tracking, hacking, or cyber harassment; and
- Direct or implicit threats against family members.
We also remain seized of threats by foreign states and their proxies to our citizens outside our borders, such as arbitrary detention.
We recognize the important role played by all partners, including civil society, academia and the private sector, in countering this threat. We welcome the recommendations for action emanating from the G7 multistakeholder Dialogue on Transnational Repression, hosted in Ottawa in February 2025, to develop concrete strategies for protecting those who are targeted.
Building on the 2018 Charlevoix commitment on defending democracy from foreign threats, and these recommendations, we, the Leaders of the G7, commit to foster a common understanding of TNR, raise awareness, and promote accountability to increase the costs for those who engage in acts of TNR. As part of these efforts, we intend to:
- Build global understanding of the threat and its corrosive impact, including on human rights and democracy; this includes reporting on TNR as an important vector of foreign interference in G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) public reports, and strengthening engagement with likeminded partners and engaging more broadly in relevant multilateral fora.
- Develop a TNR Resilience and Response Framework that includes: measures to boost G7 cooperation to counter TNR; a compendium of operational, diplomatic, policy, legislative, and community engagement best practices; and information sharing around the latest techniques, trends and vectors of TNR observed globally, drawing on wider initiatives such as the Pall Mall process related to cyber intrusion capabilities.
- Launch a Digital TNR Detection Academy through the G7 RRM to build collective capacity to detect TNR online; the Academy will provide G7 and partners with the technical skills and tools for identifying and responding to the latest technology-enabled threats.
- Support those who may be targets of TNR as well as members of civil society who are actively working to counter the threat, including through initiatives like the Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund, and by acting in solidarity with other states affected by TNR.
We will redouble our efforts to keep our communities safe, to defend human rights, including the freedom of expression online and offline, and to safeguard our sovereignty.
SOURCE Prime Minister's Office
PMO Media Relations: [email protected]
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