Multilateral Cooperation is Vital to a Global Recovery from Covid

Context: The most serious crises provide an opportunity to rebuild consensus for an international order based on multilateralism and the rule of law through efficient cooperation and solidarity.

Instances of multilateral cooperation:

• Millennium Declaration: singed by 189 counties in 2000, aims to shape the principles of international cooperation for a new era of progress toward common goals.
• UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: to tackle global challenges together

Factors necessitating global solidarity:

• Diverging trends:
  • Increased prosperity globally, while inequalities have increased.
  • Democracies have expanded while nationalism and protectionism have seen a resurgence.
• Health emergency (Covid-19 pandemic): a threat to people and economies everywhere
  • Impact: reversing the progress made in fighting poverty and gender inequality and economic crisis threatening democracies and undermine social cohesion.
• Environmental emergency: By early 2021, countries accounting for more than 65% of global greenhouse-gas emissions are likely to have made ambitious commitments to carbon neutrality.
• Misuse of technology: the considerable power of new technologies can be misused to limit the rights and freedoms of citizens, to spread hatred, or to commit serious crimes.

Way forward:

• Coordinated international response: to rapidly expands access to tests, treatments and vaccines, recognizing extensive immunization as a global public good that must be available and affordable for all.
  • E.g. Covid-19 Tools (Act) Accelerator: launched by the World Health Organization and G20 partners.
• Global coalition for reducing CO2 emissions to net-zero: All national governments, businesses, cities and financial institutions should start implementing concrete plans and policies.
• Strengthen the World Trade Organization: to ensure rules-based free trade, an important engine of inclusive, sustainable growth.
• New Economic Model: should include protection of the environment, health and social standards.
• Ensuring inclusive recovery: stepping up our support to developing countries, particularly in Africa, by -
  • Building on existing partnerships such as the G20’s Compact with Africa and
  • Africa’s joint effort with the Paris Club within the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.
• Effective regulation of technologies: Ensure effectively regulation of the internet to create a safe, free, and open digital environment.
  • Addressing the tax challenges of digitalization of the economy and combating harmful tax competition.
• Education for all: to equip the next generation with understanding for basic skills and science, different cultures, tolerance and acceptance of pluralism, and respect for freedom of conscience.

Conclusion: We must build a more inclusive multilateralism, respecting our differences as much as our common values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.