Sharjah 24 – WAM: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged the world’s largest economies to spearhead a global COVID-19 vaccination plan, expand debt relief to developing countries battered by the pandemic, and step up funding for climate action.
"To restore trust in multilateralism, we need to deliver on vaccines, economic recovery and climate finance," he said in a video message to G20 finance ministers meeting in Venice, Italy.
"With your leadership and political will, we can do it."
The Secretary-General warned of the threat posed by the "global vaccine gap" as the coronavirus mutates.
"Pledges of doses and funds are welcome – but they are not enough," he said. "We need at least eleven billion doses to vaccinate 70 percent of the world and end this pandemic."
The UN chief repeated his call for a Global Vaccine Plan that would double production and ensure equitable distribution of doses through the COVAX solidarity mechanism.
Finance Ministers and Central Bank chiefs were also urged to support a new $50 billion investment roadmap, announced last month and to be led by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), aimed at ending the pandemic and driving a fast recovery.
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