ICC-B20-WHO Open Letter to Heads of State and Government

ICC-B20 and the World Health Organization are calling for a coordinated global response to COVID-19.

In a collective call to action ahead of this week’s virtual G20 Summit, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Business Twenty (B20) and the World Health Organization (WHO), have set out proposed measures to enable a coordinated global response to effectively contain the potential human and economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an open letter to G20 heads of state and government-issued today, the three organisations underscore the vital role of the G20 in stemming the growing human and economic costs of the current crisis.

“We reiterate our firm view that only effective global cooperation can contain the potential human and economic toll of COVID-19. The limits of inward-looking policies are already patently clear,” the letter states.

Measures outlined in the letter for immediate action are:

• To ensure infection control and medical products reach the hands of those who need them the most;
• To use the private sector to help meet the need for testing and related reporting;
• To ensure equitable access and affordability of essential medical supplies and health services; and
• To scale financial assistance to ensure no-one is left behind in dealing with the potential effects of COVID-19.

The letter also calls for a G20 pledge to work together to mitigate economic damages incurred by the pandemic, prioritising urgent stimulus and safeguard measures to support MSMEs and avoid rampant unemployment.

“World business is already mobilising at scale in many domains, but your political leadership is urgently required,” the letter concludes.

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