Statement of Solidarity and Cooperation – A call for concerted support in our efforts to curb COVID19
COVID-19 is a global threat to humanity which can only be addressed through global solidarity, cooperation and coordination.
We the members of g7+ group join our partners to express our profound solidarity with nations affected by COVID-19 and sympathy for the victims of this pandemic. The g7+ group is committed to curb the pandemic and contribute to international efforts to strengthen social and economic resilience globally, including through a range of partnerships and solidarity with affected countries and populations.
We express our gratitude to the healthcare professionals for their relentless services and sacrifices in treating and taking care of patients under extremely difficult conditions. We commend the efforts of the World Health Organziation (WHO) and other national and international organizations for their robust efforts to tackle the pandemic.
1. Support the UN Secretary General’s Call for Global Ceasefire:
COVID-19 is a challenge that tests our care for humanity, and we support the UN Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire. This is a time to fight the common enemy, the pandemic, and save precious lives. We call upon all warring factions and parties to lay down their arms and
work with governments, communities, civil society organisations and healthcare organizations to tackle the rapid spread of the disease.
2. Invest in Public Healthcare and Strengthen Institutions:
COVID-19 is putting strain on public health systems worldwide. The Public Health Systems in fragile and conflict-affected countries are already constrained due to lack of basic equipment and inadequate personnel to address their current situation. The COVID-19 pandemic will overwhelm public health systems in g7+ countries, if the pandemic reaches a tipping point in these countries. Support from international humanitarian and development organizations to strengthen health systems in poor countries will help to save millions of lives. Noting current support, we call upon donor countries and organizations to scale up their assistance in line with the principles of New Deal For engagement in fragile countries to help these countries with more resilient health systems and responses to prevent, contain and recover from the pandemic.
3. Care for Displaced People stranded due to Border Closures:
We commend the hospitality of societies and countries hosting displaced people and migrants who are forced to embark on difficult journeys due to wars and natural disasters. The COVID-19 induced border closures are affecting the lives and safety of countless refugees and displaced
people. We call upon governments and international organizations to care for their needs and safety, as they would for their own citizens, as a gesture of human solidarity and consistent with international obligations.
4. Support for Economic Recovery, Self-reliance and the Sustaining Peace Agenda:
Fragile and conflict-affected countries are increasingly home to the world’s poorest and are in critical stages of their political and development transition. These countries are already being hit the hardest by the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. This has adversely affected the prospects for revenue generation in these countries, which will have a significant impact on their self-reliance. The trade and private sector are likely to be badly affected by this pandemic as experienced by the three g7+ countries during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. We welcome the announcement by the World Bank of a $12 billion response package and by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to activate $50 billion through its rapid-disbursing emergency financing facilities. We also commend similar support by other regional Development Banks and other donors.