G20 Leaders Agree on Global COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, Says Retno Marsudi

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said leaders of the G20 countries have agreed to achieve the global vaccination strategy set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"The leaders also expressed their views on the need to vaccinate 40 percent by the end of 2021, and 70 percent in mid-2022. This is actually a global strategy given by WHO which is supported by the G20 leaders," she said in a statement at the Splendide Royal Hotel, Rome, Italy, on Saturday.

Speaking after accompanying President Joko Widodo at the G20 Summit in La Nuvola, she said the G20 leaders discussed joint efforts to get out of the twin health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also discussed issues related to a close cooperation between the minister of finance and minister of health, and cooperation with such international organizations  as the WHO, World Bank, and IMF,  as well as the availability of funds to deal with the pandemic, Retno Marsudi said.

Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in his statement emphasized the importance of strengthening an inclusive global health architecture that adheres to the principles of solidarity, justice, transparency, and equality.

President Jokowi proposed several steps, including creating a mechanism for raising global health resources; compiling a global health protocol for cross-border activities; and optimizing the role of the G20 in efforts to address the scarcity and gaps of vaccines, medicines, and essential medical devices, she said.

With regard to strengthening global health resilience, President Jokowi also emphasized the importance of accelerating a stronger and more inclusive and sustainable global economic recovery.

President Jokowi said the G20 leaders shared a similar view that the world economy had not yet revived, Retno Marsudi added.

Read: Indonesia Urges G20 to Reduce COVID-19 Vaccine Gap

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