G-20 leaders urge united response to coronavirus
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The Group of 20 summit opened on Saturday with appeals by the world’s most powerful leaders to collectively chart a way forward as the coronavirus pandemic overshadows this year’s gathering, transforming it from in-person meetings to a virtual gathering of speeches and declarations.
In a sign of the times, the traditional “family photo” of leaders in the summit was digitally designed and superimposed on a historical site just outside the Saudi capital of Riyadh, which would have hosted the gathering.
The pandemic offered the G-20 an opportunity to prove how such bodies can facilitate international cooperation in crises – but has also underscored their shortcomings.
“We have a duty to rise to the challenge together during this summit and give a strong message of hope and reassurance,” Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said.
While G-20 countries have contributed billions of dollars toward developing a vaccine for the virus, they have also mostly focused on securing their own vaccine supplies. Countries such as Britain, the U.S., France and Germany – all G-20 member states – have negotiated deals with pharmaceutical companies to receive billions of doses, meaning that the vast majority of the world’s vaccine supply next year is already reserved.
A day before the summit, U.N. Secretary-general Antonio Guterres said that while $10 billion has been invested in efforts to develop vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, another $28 billion is needed for mass manufacturing, procurement and delivery of new COVID-19 vaccines around the world.
Guterres called on more G-20 nations to join COVAX, an international initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide.
The pandemic has had a far-reaching economic impact on developing countries and pushed millions into extreme poverty. It has also plagued the world’s wealthiest nations, with nine G-20 countries ranking highest globally for the most cases of COVID-19 recorded. The U.S. tops the list, followed by India, Brazil, France, Russia, Spain, the U.K., Argentina and Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Three G-20 leaders participating in the summit have been infected by the coronavirus: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and U.S. President Donald Trump.
As part of the summit, seven leaders released video messages on “Pandemic Preparedness and Response.” France’s President Emmanuel Macron warned of the challenges in obtaining “universal access to health technologies against COVID-19.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for strengthening the World Health Organization and stressed the pandemic can only be overcome if an affordable vaccine is available to all nations.
G-20 heads of state last gathered virtually for an emergency meeting in March as the coronavirus was fastspreading around the world. At the time, they vowed “to do whatever it takes to overcome the pandemic.”