AIDS, other health issues

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
 
Welcome and thank you for coming together in this extraordinary international effort to address a human crisis like no other in our lifetimes.
 
The Access to COVID-19 Tools -- or ACT -- Accelerator -- and its COVAX Facility are prime examples of multilateralism in action for the global public good. 
 
We are already seeing remarkable progress in our efforts and we must deepen that work. 
 
The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest test of global solidarity in generations. 
 

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, good morning, good afternoon, good evening.
 
Four months ago, Prime Ministers Trudeau and Holness and myself, together with over 50 Heads of State and Government called for a large-scale response to the economic devastation brought about by COVID-19.
 
Since then, the pandemic has continued to wreak havoc around the world and the response has not kept pace.
 
One million people have died, a tragic milestone; more than 33 million have been infected.
 

[All-English below; followed by bilingual as delivered version and all-French] 

Thank you for this opportunity to address the subject of global governance as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A microscopic virus is now the number one threat in our world.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a full-blown crisis in itself, unfolding against a backdrop of high geopolitical tensions and other global threats in unpredictable and dangerous ways.

The pandemic is a clear test of international cooperation – a test we have essentially failed.

I want to begin by thanking His Majesty King Abdullah II, a committed messenger for peace, for convening this important meeting. 
 
The Aqaba Process has been instrumental in enhancing global cooperation in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. 
 
And as you have outlined today, it can play a key role in promoting unity and aligning thinking on how to tackle COVID-19 and building a better future for all. 
 
The pandemic is more than a global health crisis - it is a game-changer for international peace and security. 
 

Thank you very much, Mr. President. President of IOE, Erol Kiresepi, Secretary-General Roberto Suarez Santos, Director-General Guy Ryder, Presidents of the national employers organizations, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

COVID-19 respects no borders – and that demands that we strengthen cooperation across our own. 
 
The pandemic has forced unprecedented lockdowns, travel suspensions and limited movement across borders. 
 
Concerns are growing that some of the current movement restrictions could outlast the immediate crisis.
 
Furthermore, the adoption of ad hoc measures could create a patchwork of unworkable travel requirements, creating significant obstacles to a global economic recovery.
 

The COVID-19 pandemic continues its surge around the world.
 
The number one global security threat in our world today is the virus. 
 
It is our common enemy. 
 
Yet we still continue to struggle to collectively make all the decisions and devote all the resources we need to defeat it. 
 
But it’s not too late.
 
We must start immediately by massively expanding new and existing tools that can rapidly respond to new cases and provide vital treatment to suppress transmission and save lives, especially over the next 12 months.

My dear friends, President Cyril Ramaphosa, excellencies, distinguished guests, friends,  

It is a privilege to join you in honouring Nelson Mandela, an extraordinary global leader, advocate, and role model.

I thank the Nelson Mandela Foundation for this opportunity and commend their work to keep his vision alive. And I send my deepest condolences to the Mandela family and to the Government and people of South Africa on the untimely passing of Ambassador Zindzi Mandela earlier this week. May she rest in peace. 

As we gather to reflect on the future of multilateralism, the world is experiencing a deepening calamity.
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged us into an acute health and economic crisis, the severity of which has not been seen in nearly a century.
 
The socio-economic impacts will likely unfold for years to come.
 
The crisis risks halting and reversing progress on poverty eradication, food security, gender equality and other Sustainable Development Goals.
 

I thank the German Presidency for convening this important discussion.
 
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to profoundly affect peace and security across the globe.
 
The consequences can be seen even in a number of countries traditionally seen as “stable”. 
But the impacts are particularly apparent in countries already experiencing conflict or emerging from it – and may soon engulf others.
 
The risks are diverse.
 
Tensions are rising as a result of the severe socio-economic fallout of the crisis.