Mario Draghi sends a message of hope at the Global Health Summit, organized by the Italian presidency of the G20 and the European Commission. A moment of collective reflection by world leaders on the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and on the steps necessary to avert the risk of new global health crises.
Leading the work of the summit, the Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Here is the text of Draghi’s speech:
«Cara Ursula,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am very satisfied with the results we have achieved today.
The Global Health Summit is a timely reminder of the power of multilateral cooperation.
The pandemic has shown that we need to cross borders if we are to meet the challenges of our times.
These include not only the pandemic, but also global inequalities and climate change.
Contributions to today’s debate will serve as a solid foundation for strengthening our response to the current health emergency and future crises.
This is the spirit of the Rome Declaration, a set of principles that will ensure that we are better prepared for a possible future pandemic.
Let me now elaborate on some of these points:
It is essential to strengthen the role of multilateral institutions, in the field of global health and beyond.
The World Health Organization was established in 1948 to play a coordinating role in epidemic control and drug standardization.
Its role is equally important in today’s world.
We need to provide WHO with sustainable and predictable funding and enable it to become more effective.
As we have learned during this crisis, strong international leadership is essential to ensure that an effective early warning system is in place and that governments can quickly share their best practices to prevent, contain and manage a pandemic.
However, health policy is only one of the challenges facing rich and emerging countries today.
We also face significant economic risks.
International financial institutions must provide low-income countries with the necessary support so that this health crisis does not turn into a wave of sovereign debt crisis.
In particular, we must now enable the International Monetary Fund to provide effective protection for the poorest countries in the world.
The Rome Declaration rightly emphasizes the importance of pursuing a “One Health” approach to preserve human, animal and environmental safety.
This is the fundamental priority of the Italian G20 Presidency.
The Scientific Expert Panel stated that most infectious diseases are caused by animal-derived pathogens.
Their emergence is largely driven by deforestation, wildlife exploitation and other human activities.
Effective environmental protection action can help defend animal welfare and ultimately mitigate the risk of new health threats.
In pursuing a common strategy to prevent future pandemics, we must remain committed to limiting environmental damage and addressing the climate crisis.
The Sustainable Development Goals provide a series of targets useful for achieving this general goal, starting with the COP26 conference that Italy will chair this year together with the UK.
International cooperation should not be limited to the public sector.
Global trade is equally important.
The pandemic has shown us how collaboration between companies is key to fostering innovation and increasing the production of essential medical goods.
Covid-19 vaccines are the product of complex supply chains, which span many countries, each of which is based on its own industrial capacity and expertise.
The Rome Declaration rightly defends the role of the multilateral trading system and in particular the central role of the World Trade Organization.
We need to preserve cross-border trade and eliminate unjustified trade barriers and general export bans.
This is essential if we are to react effectively to shocks.
Finally, the Declaration emphasizes the role of knowledge in overcoming current and future health crises.
Scientific ingenuity has paved the way for getting out of this pandemic.
Approval for the first vaccine was requested nine months after WHO declared an international health emergency, a truly historic achievement.
We must continue to invest in our scientists and provide incentives for private companies to do the same.
Furthermore, we must ensure that information is shared quickly and openly, while maintaining adequate protection of intellectual property.
International scientific collaboration has been one of the factors behind the rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines.
We need better data sharing and greater knowledge transfer to enable widespread and equitable distribution of the fruits of innovation.
So let me thank you once again for a very successful summit.
The world is in a much safer condition thanks to your precious contributions ».
*** Subscribe to the Special Coronavirus Newsletter
The proposed temporary suspension of vaccine patents
“Italy is open to a suspension of patents on vaccines against Covid-19,” said Draghi in his speech before the meeting. According to the premier, it is a measure to be adopted “in a targeted manner, limited in time and which does not jeopardize the incentive for pharmaceutical companies to innovate”. However, the Prime Minister adds, this does not help “low-income countries” to “produce their own vaccines“. For this reason, continues Draghi, these countries must be “supported financially and with specialized skills”.
WHO: the G20 has the means to vaccinate the world, it cannot wait
“The G20 has all the means to vaccinate the world and the world can wait no longer.” It is an appeal to the leaders of the planet to act quickly the one launched by the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on the occasion of the Global Health Summit in Rome. The Dg said he welcomed the declaration produced by the summit. “In particular, the commitment to support and improve the current multilateral health architecture for the preparation, prevention and response” to health threats, “with an effective, adequately funded WHO at the heart” of this architecture. “And we welcome other commitments to strengthen national and global preparedness to prevent future pandemics. But our commitment to the future is measured by our actions today “, he warned, asking for a commitment to put an end to inequities in accessing tools to fight Covid-19 and in particular vaccines.