G20 urged to take action on crises

07 Apr 2020

In attempt to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, 165 global leaders are looking for immediate and coordinated international action, which will also help to protect the economy.

Present leaders will be joined by previous ones to advice the G20 that action must be taken in relation to improving health systems in poor countries of Africa and Latin America. If not taken, the return of the virus would be imminent.

The group of leaders warned leaders in a letter, “We are writing to call for immediate internationally coordinated action – within the next few days – to address our deepening global health and economic crises from Covid-19.”

They asked to see more support given to the poorest countries as well as more funds available to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

“In 2008-10, the immediate economic crisis could be surmounted when the economic fault line – under-capitalisation of the global banking system – was tackled. Now, however, the economic emergency will not be resolved until the health emergency is effectively addressed: the health emergency will not end simply by conquering the disease in one country alone, but by ensuring recovery from Covid-19 in all countries.”

Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major, together with Jean-Claude Trichet - the former president of the European Central Bank, the former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd signed the letter. In addition, there were the signatures of the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the former UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, financier George Soros and the Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

The letter continued, “Yet, if we do nothing as the disease spreads in poorer African, Asian and Latin American cities and in fragile communities which have little testing equipment, ventilators and medical supplies; and where social distancing and even washing hands are difficult to achieve, Covid-19 will persist there and re-emerge to hit the rest of the world with further rounds that will prolong the crisis.”


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