Investments Supporting Safe Travel, Developing Countries’ Economies Key to Combating COVID-19 Crisis, Secretary-General Tells Group of Twenty Foreign Ministers Meeting

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Group of Twenty (G20) Extraordinary Foreign Ministers Meeting, in New York today:

COVID-19 respects no borders — and that demands that we strengthen cooperation across our own.

The pandemic has forced unprecedented lockdowns, travel suspensions and limited movement across borders.  Concerns are growing that some of the current movement restrictions could outlast the immediate crisis.  Furthermore, the adoption of ad hoc measures could create a patchwork of unworkable travel requirements, creating significant obstacles to a global economic recovery.

As we work together to manage our way out, it is vital to move ahead in a coordinated way.  Your discussions today will be crucial — and let me quickly point to five focus areas that can help guide the way.

First, I urge the G20 to agree on common objective criteria in relation to the removal of travel restrictions, based on scientific evidence.  Second, to increase investments on systems and practices that support safe travel — in close coordination with the private sector.  Third, to boost coordination in preventive measures — in particular more systematic use of testing and tracing and other proven actions to avoid the spread of the virus and allow for effective control of the potential impacts of increased mobility.

Fourth, to ensure full respect for international human rights and refugee law.  Fifth, to agree that the future vaccines will be considered a global public good to be available and affordable everywhere, supporting global health, global mobility and global economic recovery.  All actions must recognize upholding human dignity as the guiding principle for cross-border policies.

Excellencies, in all we do, we need to advance an inclusive health, social and economic response to the crisis.  Let me be blunt.  We still have a long way to ago in two crucial dimensions.

First, in our capacity to fight the pandemic together.  We have seen the results when each country pursues its own strategy, with the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO) being largely disregarded.  When countries go in different directions, the virus goes in every direction.

Second, we still lack effective international solidarity to respond to the economic and social impacts and the underlying fragilities exposed by the pandemic.  From the beginning, the United Nations has called for massive global support for the most vulnerable people and countries.

Developed countries have done so for their own economies — but we need mechanisms of solidarity to ensure that the developing world will also fully benefit.  This includes boosting the resources available to international financial institutions and doing far more to address the escalating debt crisis, which is devastating public balance sheets and hampering crisis response and recovery.

Solutions to the debt emergency must include an extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to at least the end of 2021, a broadening of its scope to all vulnerable countries, as well as comprehensive debt relief for some countries in need.  We must leverage cross-border capital flows for the crisis response by safeguarding global liquidity, reducing the cost of remittances and combating illicit financial flows.

Recovering better also requires addressing deep-seated inequalities, including with regards to gender.  More than ever, we need effective international solidarity — and concerted G20 action — to advance these priority areas and build a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable world for all.  Thank you.