Virtual G-20 summit faces real crisis
Heads of state make appeals to ‘rise to challenge’ of virus
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Group of 20 summit opened 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, Riyadh, which would have hosted the gathering. The kingdom has presided over the G-20 this year.
The pandemic, which has resulted in nearly 1.4 million deaths worldwide according to Johns Hopkins University data, has 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 in the summit’s opening remarks.
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 directly negotiated deals with pharmaceu
tical companies to receive billions of doses, meaning that the vast majority of the world’s vaccine supply next year is already reserved.
U.S. President Donald Trump told his counterparts that any American who wants the vaccine will be able to get it, and singled out American producers Pfizer Inc., whose shot has been developed along with a German company, and Moderna Inc., according to officials who asked not to be named discussing the talks, which weren’t open to the press.
Trump praised American leadership for what he said was an efficient fight against the virus and success in bolstering the nation’s economy. But he said nothing about granting
access to American vaccines by the rest of the world.
Shortly after his remarks, Trump left the virtual session and was replaced first by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and then White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, according to officials familiar with the meeting. Some other leaders also dropped off after giving their speeches, the officials said.
Trump later departed the White House for his Virginia golf course. The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The president is expected to participate in closed-door virtual sessions scheduled for Sunday.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the meeting the G-20 should work to
secure the “affordable and fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccine for everyone.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said countries should share vaccines, and stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation against the virus, according to a G-20 official.
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. With more than 12 million, the United States tops the list, followed by India, Brazil, France, Russia, Spain, the U.K., Argentina and Italy, according
to Johns Hopkins.
Three G-20 leaders participating in the summit have been infected by the coronavirus: Trump, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
The virus shows no signs of abating as major cities in the U.S. and Europe bring back lockdowns and curfews. The World Health Organization says more cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the past four weeks than in the first six months of the pandemic.
The International Labor Organization says an equivalent of 225 million full-time jobs were lost in G-20 countries alone in the third quarter of 2020. G-20 member-countries represent around 85% of the world’s economic output and threequarters of international trade.
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.
In a video statement released ahead of the summit, Johnson appealed to global leaders to harness the resources of the world’s wealthiest nations to end the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle climate change.
“Our fates are in each other’s hands,” said Johnson, who plans to attend two virtual events at the summit while self-isolating at home in London after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
Bolsonaro, who spent months downplaying the severity of the virus while deaths mounted rapidly inside Brazil, emphasized in a video message that world leaders “should take care of people’s health and of the economy at the same time.” Brazil is second in the world with over 168,000 COVID-19 deaths, trailing only the U.S., which has logged more than 255,000, according to Johns Hopkins.
G-20 heads of state last gathered virtually for an emergency meeting in March as the coronavirus was fast-spreading around the world. At the time, they vowed “to do whatever it takes to overcome the pandemic.”