‘There is only one way out of the Covid-19 crisis: a vaccine. To develop, manufacture and distribute a vaccine will take funding, collaboration and support from countries with manufacturing capacity, and a shared recognition that the virus cannot be defeated by one nation alone. While some countries are urging for global cooperation, populist voices are arguing now is the time to pull apart.
This is a battle we must win and one that the UK cannot shy away from. On 4 May the government took a first step by joining global leaders – from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia and the European Commission – in co-hosting an international pledging conference to raise the money needed to fund the development of a vaccine.
On the same day, a separate meeting was held between political leaders from the Non-Aligned Movement, including the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the secretary-general of the UN, António Guterres. While the call for global cooperation in defeating Covid-19 was echoed at both international gatherings, the parallel nature of the discussions showed more must be done to better coordinate a global response.
