Summit’s Focus Turns to International Crime, Debt Relief

Leaders of the Group of 8 industrial nations retreated to a country estate Saturday, focusing their discussions on major global challenges of the next century such as Third World debt relief and the fight against illegal drugs and international crime.

“There must be no safe havens either for criminals or for their money,” the leaders said in a communique.

They agreed to support efforts to negotiate within two years an effective United Nations convention against transnational organized crime and to implement a 10-point anti-crime plan agreed upon by their justice and interior ministers in December to provide law enforcement with additional tools to fight cross-border crime.

“Historically, governments have not crossed borders, at least not in times of peace,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jonathan Winer said. “Criminals, of course, as a result of globalization, are crossing borders all the time.”

Saturday’s agreements reflect an ongoing effort by the so-called Group of 8, which includes the long-standing Group of 7 industrial nations and Russia, “to create the ability for governments to transcend borders to fight crime,” Winer added.

The leaders made pledges to work together to combat several problems that they believe are particularly urgent, including official corruption arising from large flows of criminals’ money, trafficking of women and children, organized crime, and the illegal manufacturing and trafficking of firearms.

As the leaders met at a 1,000-acre estate in Weston-Under-Lizard, an estimated 50,000 demonstrators carrying signs and blowing whistles crowded into central Birmingham. They were protesting in support of an initiative to erase the massive debts that saddle many Third World nations. Those debts hinder the nations’ efforts to escape poverty.

The protest drew a remarkable coalition, including college students, retired people and trade union activists. The event, which included the formation of a human chain around the city, was peaceful.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who holds the presidency of the G-8 and was the host of the summit, released a response to the demonstrators, but there was no indication that the leaders developed any new policy on this issue.

“Your presence here is a truly impressive testimony to the solidarity of people in our own countries with those in the world’s poorest and most indebted,” Blair said in his response.

Blair outlined an initiative adopted by the G-8 two years ago in Lyon, France--called the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative--which has forgiven the world’s poorest countries $8 billion in debt, $5 billion of which is owed by African nations.

“We will work with the others concerned to ensure that all eligible countries get the relief they need to secure a lasting exit from their debt problems,” Blair’s statement said.

The leaders also talked about the special needs of Africa and committed to help the continent reach certain goals, such as providing primary education for all children. They did not, however, make any specific commitments on spending money to accomplish this goal.

Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin raised fresh worries about his health by bowing out of the summit’s evening entertainment program and sending word through his spokesman that he also would be a no-show today at a summit news conference.

“Boris Nikolayevich has decided to return to his hotel room and rest,” Kremlin spokesman Sergei V. Yastrzhembsky observed with a studied lack of concern.

When journalists asked about the 67-year-old Russian leader’s health, Yastrzhembsky facetiously advised them to “call around to Birmingham hospitals.”

Yeltsin has suffered at least three heart attacks in as many years, as well as recurring bouts of pneumonia and viral infections. He underwent quintuple bypass surgery in November 1996, but his health has remained unsteady and his behavior erratic--especially during foreign visits.

Times staff writer Carol J. Williams contributed to this report.