G20 leaders in the final communiqué of the summit in the Saudi capital of Riyadh promised to spare no resources to make Covid-19 tests, drugs and vaccines available to “all people” at affordable prices.
This year’s G20 summit was held by videoconference
/YVES HERMAN / POOL / AFP /AFP
The coronavirus pandemic and the prospect of an uneven and uncertain economic recovery were the focus of the two-day G20 summit chaired by Saudi Arabia. This year’s summit was held in the form of a videoconference.
“The Covid-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact in terms of fatalities, livelihoods and affected economies is an unparalleled shock that exposed the weaknesses of our preparation and response and highlighted our shared challenges,” said G20 leaders in a final communiqué released on Sunday 22 November.
The G20 states in the declaration that they would work to “protect life, provide support, with a special focus on the most vulnerable, and put our economies back on the path to restore growth, and protect and create jobs for all.”
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G20 leaders said they would “spare no effort to ensure affordable and equal access for all” to vaccines, tests and drugs.
They also found that while global economic activity increased in part due to the gradual re-opening of certain countries and sectors, the recovery was uneven and highly uncertain. They reaffirmed their commitment to use all available policy tools for as long as necessary to protect lives, jobs and income. They also stated that climate change is an urgent challenge.
All G20 countries agreed with the full text of the final communiqué, except Turkey, which is due to present its position at a press conference on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia is the first Arab country to host the annual G20 summit, bringing together the heads of state and government of the world’s richest countries. Saudi heir to the throne, Muhammad ibn Salman, has proposed on Sunday that two future G20 summits should be held annually – by videoconference mid-year and in person at the end of the year.
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