Peru's Foreign Affairs Minister Gustavo Meza-Cuadra participated in the videoconference of the
, which brings together the efforts of countries that are struggling to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.
Likewise, it suggested financial responses to the multilateral trade system that ensure the free flow of medicines, kits, and personal protective equipment (PPE) in the face of this pandemic, as well as universal access to a vaccine whenever it is available.
Joint statement
The virtual meeting concluded with a joint statement raising five challenges faced by countries in the context of the pandemic, which are of a health, financial, economic, information, and prevention nature.
In attention to the spread of the disease, one objective is to "ensure sufficient financing to address the pandemic, including strengthening of health systems globally."
On the financial side, a commitment was established "to provide resources in support of the
WHO's COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, as well as the health organizations involved in identifying and scaling up the tools needed to fight the pandemic," as well as "to assist those countries whose economies are most at risk due to the pandemic and to improve resilience."
In addition, countries urged all organizations and people in the world to add their contribution.
"The continued efficient flow of medical supplies, agricultural products, and other goods and services across borders will be critical for effective crisis response, to help minimize global supply and demand shocks, and to enable timely economic recovery."
Therefore, work will be done "to minimize disruptions to cross border trade and global supply chains, and taking only targeted, proportionate, transparent, and temporary emergency measures and only those consistent with our
WTO obligations."
Likewise, the parties affirmed that "disinformation puts peoples' lives at risk and is an obstacle to effective public health responses." Thus, they called on all States to provide and promote accessible, timely and factual information, in order to continue protecting and promoting access to free and independent media and to support the free exchange of reliable, as well as accurate information.
As for prevention, they agreed on the need to also address the long-term consequences of this crisis, adding that the world must prepare better for the next pandemic. "We will lend our support to strengthening health systems globally, including through supporting the WHO, other UN agencies as well as other international health organizations."
The Franco-German initiative calls for containing and countering the pandemic with a coordinated, cooperative, transparent and science-based global response.
Furthermore, it highlights the importance of maintaining principles of democracy and the rule of law in a situation of emergency.
Moreover, there is clear support "for the
World Health Organization in leading the global public health response, as well as the efforts of the wider
United Nations, the
World Bank Group, and other international and regional organizations as they come together in a coordinated, coherent whole to respond to the wider socio-economic impacts of the crisis."
(END) SRE/RMCH/MVB