The International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace (24 April)?was?especially meaningful in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic hits fast and its effects spare no one. The story is the same for all of us, it’s just that we find ourselves in different chapters of the book. We hope that it is slowly levelling off in Europe and other areas where the outbreak appeared early, but we fully realize that we are yet to see the global effects in countries that are much more vulnerable. We know that no one is safe until everyone everywhere is safe. The virus has revealed vulnerabilities inside countries and in the international system. Seldom has the need for a swift, coordinated and truly global response been more acute.?
Clearly, viruses disregard national borders, and COVID-19, uniquely and lethally adapted to our interconnected world, has created unprecedented global turmoil. Tackling this worldwide crisis—and its manifold consequences—is a test of our humanity and demands international cooperation, multilateral solutions and solidarity.
The European Union (EU) is doing its part to mitigate and to overcome the crisis. We are acting with determination to protect our citizens, strengthen public health and avoid further spreading. But we are also helping to alleviate the dramatic consequences this crisis will have globally.?We are working towards a common international approach to fight the pandemic and to assist the most vulnerable, not least those in developing countries and conflict zones. Within the G20 and G7 countries in particular, the EU is promoting the full use of the available multilateral mechanisms to share scientific evidence, data and best practices. We have taken important steps to soften the debt burden of poorer countries. Cooperation with international actors, primarily the United Nations system and especially the World Health Organization (WHO), but also the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and civil society organizations, is crucial in confronting this crisis effectively.?
Let us be under no illusion: this crisis could generate new conflicts if we don’t address it effectively. But it also offers an opportunity for parties to conflict to lay down weapons and focus on the real needs of people.
The pandemic also constitutes a growing threat to international peace and security. Some conflicts are still ongoing and threatening to further aggravate the death toll of this terrible disease. Again, the most vulnerable pay the price. That is why the EU strongly supports the call by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for an immediate global ceasefire. The Security Council should back up this call by showing unity and resolve. We are proud that the EU members on the Council have worked tirelessly to ensure that it shoulders its responsibilities. Let us be under no illusion: this crisis could generate new conflicts if we don’t address it effectively. But it also offers an opportunity for parties to conflict to lay down weapons and focus on the real needs of people. The EU stands ready to actively support this effort and is proactively helping United Nations mediators in the field to seize every opportunity to resolve conflicts and to build sustainable peace.?
We salute the Secretary-General’s leadership in this crisis. United Nations staff members around the world are showing admirable courage and determination to save lives, protect the most vulnerable and ensure human dignity. The EU and its member?States are responding generously to the Secretary-General’s call for a humanitarian response, the urgent appeal to address the socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic and the gap in WHO financing, his call to action on human rights and his?message on gender-based violence related to the pandemic. Our member States are also paying their dues to the United Nations, on time and in full. We understand the need for an effective United Nations, now more than ever. Rhetorical support is welcome, but not enough. Putting out global fires and building back better costs money. But it is the best insurance policy we have.
Now is the time to show that solidarity is not an empty phrase. This is not a moment for blame games or unilateral actions. The first priority is to manifest the global solidarity of the EU to assist the most vulnerable in developing countries and conflict zones. These include the 70 million forcibly displaced people around the world, many of whom find themselves caught between war and the pandemic, and countries with weak health-care systems, without access to clean water for all, or functioning safety nets, and where armed conflict has destroyed infrastructure. In such environments, the consequences of the pandemic could become devastating. This is particularly the case in Africa.
While in developed countries, the health crisis precedes the economic crisis, for many developing countries the order is reversed. According to a , the pandemic has set off the first recession in sub-Saharan Africa in 25 years. Some countries already face a massive flight of capital; a drop in income from tourism or raw materials, particularly oil; and a decrease in remittances. In sum, the combined effects of the health and the economic crises are already a reality and could become even more catastrophic.?
For all of these reasons, the EU has launched, together with its member States and financial institutions, a 20 billion euro package to support our partner countries in combating the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences.? This “Team Europe” package is aimed at supporting the most vulnerable countries and people most at risk, with special emphasis on the EU neighbourhood, in Africa, and in the Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions. It combines reoriented resources from existing programmes (some 11 billion euros), plus support from financial institutions, such as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (5 billion euros), and from EU member States (4 billion euros).?
The EU and its member States are already the world’s largest donor of humanitarian and development aid, and we will be the largest donor in the global fight against the pandemic. Furthermore, EU leaders have appealed for a concerted and ambitious approach in favour of significant debt relief for developing countries.
Although we are still in the most acute phase of the pandemic, it is already time to prepare for the day after.
This crisis also poses particular challenges to the effective exercise and protection of human rights, and puts the functioning of democracies to the test. Regardless of the unprecedented challenges, human rights are not negotiable; they must be at the centre of our response—especially while governments put forward strict measures to tackle the coronavirus crisis. With our ambitious action plan, the EU will continue to defend human rights and democracy around the world, working hand-in-hand with the United Nations and other partners, including civil society. Women are, as always, carrying our societies. Their role must be highlighted, and they must have equal opportunities. Hopefully, the pandemic can be the global eye-opener on the need for full equality.?
Although we are still in the most acute phase of the pandemic, it is already time to prepare for the day after. We need to make sure to “recover better”: better preparedness to tackle future similar crises, better governance, and more sustainable economic and social systems. While the socioeconomic costs of COVID-19 will be staggering, climate change and biodiversity loss will continue to pose real threats to humanity—and will require global, multilateral solutions. It is my conviction that the green transition and the digital transformation, in Europe and abroad, are among the best ingredients for a sustainable growth strategy to help our economies recover once we emerge from the crisis. Our policies will continue to work towards more resilient societies, supporting sustainable economic and societal models, with full equality and respect for democratic principles and human rights,?in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.?
The world after coronavirus will be different. But the?United Nations and all partners around the world can count on the commitment of the EU to working together towards a world that is more equal, more sustainable, and more peaceful, where human rights are respected for all. Let’s build back better.?
1 May 2020
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