PM Modi at the G20 virtual conference

In his speech to the Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders Summit “convened by Saudi Arabia to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the world economy, Modi also stressed the need to reform and empower international organizations like the World Health Organization to deal with pandemics like Covid-19 so that it is effective in helping countries and developing prescription health protocols.

Modi said in his speech, according to people familiar with development, that the G-20, after alleviating the global financial crisis of 2008, was an organization that had a purely economic agenda to define globalization. “

But in many ways, we have lacked globalization (the G-20) has become a forum for balancing competing individual interests rather than focusing on the collective interests of all human nature, whether it be fighting against terrorism or against climate change, the human aspects of our globalization have been subsumed by economic and financial focus, “said Modi.

Modis’ comments are consistent with his recent speeches calling for reformed multilateralism “that is, not to maintain the status quo but to make systems more effective in meeting current challenges and making them more inclusive.

In his speech, the Prime Minister also stressed that it had taken the G20 three months to enter the crisis in order to find solutions on how to manage the crisis. The coronavirus first appeared in Hubei province in China in December, but has now spread to 175 countries and regions, infecting nearly 500,000 people and killing more than 22,000 people.

Modi’s recommendations included placing humans rather than economic goals at the center of our visions of global prosperity and cooperation, “free and open sharing of medical development and research for all, and strengthening and the reform of organizations like WHO which continue to be based on the latest centenary model, “said the person, noting the feeling among G20 countries that WHO was not as effective as it would have been. could be “.

Modis’ comments come against the backdrop of WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus criticized for delaying Covid-19 declaration

a public health emergency of international concern “and not intervene more decisively to deal with the crisis in China.

The extraordinary virtual summit of G20 leaders “convened by Saudi Arabia, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20, comes as the Covid-19 has boiled global stock markets and caused major disruption in all sectors. countries have closed borders, businesses have closed shutters and airlines have ceased operations in an effort to curb the spread of infections that have engulfed countries like Italy. Oil prices have plummeted. Many countries have announced special economic packages to support small industries and vulnerable segments of their population to contain the economic impact of the pandemic without anticipating the end of the crisis. After China, it is the European countries like l ” Spain and Italy were the hardest hit in terms of infections and deaths.

According to the person quoted above, the members of the G-20, the United States and China, who have traced the origins of the coronavirus epidemic, have not used any form of blame. Rather, the summit focused on cooperation, on how to meet common challenges posed by the pandemic, said the person.

I saw no reference to the origins of the crisis as to who was responsible. I think that all efforts have focused on what we can do to alleviate the difficulties caused by this challenge “and to prepare to face similar situations in the future,” said the person. There has been no effort to assign blame or responsibility, “said the person describing the summit as the best illustration of global cooperation.”

There has been an effort to consider setting aside funds among countries as well as individuals and groups to help the poorest and least developed countries meet the challenge posed by Covid-19, said the no one.

Modi, in his speech, also raised the case of countries that could not make their views known at the G-20 forum since they were not represented, said the above-quoted person.

A statement from the Indian Foreign Ministry said that at Thursday’s meeting, G20 leaders pledged to use all available political tools to minimize the economic and social cost of the pandemic and to restore global growth, the market stability and building resilience. “

G20 countries have pledged to inject more than $ 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the social and economic impact of COVID-19. The leaders also agreed to contribute to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund run by WHO on a voluntary basis, “he added.