On September 7, 2018, the members of the International Advisory Group on Global Health (IAG) gathered in Tokyo, along with Japanese government officials, legislators, academic experts, civil society leaders, business executives, and representatives from international organizations, to exchange views in person on what Japan should prioritize in its global health agenda in order to best utilize the G20 process and the other important upcoming international meetings that are to be held in Japan in 2019 and 2020. This meeting was the culmination of a series of virtual meetings. The IAG comprised leading global health practitioners and experts from around the world, who were asked to offer their insights into ways that Japan can leverage these events to improve global health. The process began with each member submitting written input on global health and related priorities that they felt Japan should consider as it builds its global health agenda. Then the members, along with Japanese government officials, gathered via three teleconferences to review the ideas presented.
The Tokyo roundtable was attended by approximately 50 people and was co-sponsored by Waseda University and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Top Global University Project at Waseda University, and the Tokyo Club. The IAG deliberations were compiled in a report, “Advancing the Global Health Agenda in the SDG Era: Enhancing Japan’s Leadership Role in 2019–2020,” in English and Japanese.