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President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen represented the EU at the 15th G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia on November 21-22, 2020.
G20 leaders came together in virtual format to discuss the way forward on how to tackle together the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fund the development and deployment of a vaccine, and continue to support citizens and businesses struggling to make in the face of the aftermath of the pandemic.
President Michel said: “An international treaty on pandemics could help prevent future pandemics and help us respond more quickly and in a more coordinated way. It should be negotiated with all nations, organizations and UN agencies, in particular the WHO. The WHO should remain the Cornerstone of health emergency coordination. A pandemic treaty could complement their efforts. “
G20 leaders also discussed how to better rebuild and pave the way for an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future. President von der Leyen said: “I am pleased that the G20 leaders have agreed that Covid-19 vaccines are available and affordable for everyone. But more funding is needed. That is why I called on the G20 leaders to commit to funding US $ 4.5 billion for ACT-Accelerator before the end of the year. G20 leaders also agreed to maintain economic measures until recovery is firmly underway. As a lesson from the crisis, we must intensify global preparedness. We will discuss this again in May 2021 at the joint G20 Global Health Summit in Italy. To rebuild a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient world, we must also step up action to fight climate change. The EU is leading the way towards climate neutrality by 2050 and many G20 partners have now made the same commitments.
They also discussed a number of other crucial global issues, such as economic recovery, WTO reform, taxation of the digital economy and how to support low-income countries.
Following the two-day Summit, leaders adopted the G20 Riyadh Declaration to address common global challenges.
In COVID-19, the EU advocated a multilateral solution to the coronavirus pandemic. EU leaders called on the G20 to maintain and deepen its commitment to fighting the COVID-19 crisis, in particular by ensuring affordable and equitable access for all to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) initiative and its COVAX installation are the main tools to do so.
In climate change, the Summit agreed on a unified paragraph in the G20 Riyadh Declaration, after three consecutive G20 Summits in which no such consensus could be reached. EU leaders urged all G20 members to work towards the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. The EU also promoted a recovery based on green, inclusive, sustainable, resilient and digital growth in line with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.
In debt relief For the most fragile countries, the leaders reconfirmed their support through the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative that will provide free debt relief and resources to combat the pandemic. They pledged to implement the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), including its extension until June 2021. EU leaders emphasized that additional steps may be necessary, and the Summit approved a common multilateral framework for future debt treatments. Debt.
In Commerce Y taxation of the digital economyThe leaders recalled their support for the WTO reform process in the run-up to the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO and recognized the contribution the Riyadh Initiative has made to the future of the WTO. They also agreed to strive to find a consensus-based solution for a globally fair, sustainable and modern international tax system by mid-2021, based on ongoing work by the OECD.
For more information:
Remarks by President Charles Michel before the G20 summit
G20 Riyadh Declaration
The EU on the G20 meeting page
Visit the meeting page
