{"id":1966,"date":"2021-02-05T04:22:52","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T04:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelcommunication.net\/?p=27033"},"modified":"2021-03-15T23:27:35","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T23:27:35","slug":"wef-cooperation-vital-to-uphold-as-pandemic-challenges-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/global-travel-news\/wef-cooperation-vital-to-uphold-as-pandemic-challenges-continue\/","title":{"rendered":"WEF: Cooperation Vital to Uphold as Pandemic Challenges Continue"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\"WEF:<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n

Geneva, Switzerland, February 4, 2021 \/ TRAVELINDEX \/ Underlining the day\u2019s theme, Advancing Global and Regional Cooperation, two prime ministers and more than a dozen other ministers tackled subjects ranging from resetting geopolitics to improving international trade.<\/p>\n

Lee Hsien Loong<\/strong>, Prime Minister of Singapore, echoed many of the ideas and fears espoused by fellow world leaders over the course of The Davos Agenda week. He noted the renewed sense of global collaboration in the fact that, as a result of COVID-19, \u201cwe were forcefully reminded that our fates were intertwined and we had to work together.\u201d This, he suggested, has led to a period in which confidence has been rebuilt. The task now is to ensure this continues, particularly in a geopolitical sphere where tensions between China and the US continue to reverberate.<\/p>\n

The prime minister noted that as the world transitions to a new phase, \u201chard decisions will have to be made\u201d, adding that \u201cto resume growth, we must look beyond returning to the status quo ante\u201d. Like many leaders in the past week, Lee expressed his fears over climate change, which he described as \u201caccelerating dangerously\u201d. He did, however, suggest that \u201cif countries act now and in concert, we can still hope to avert a catastrophe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead to May when the city state will host the Forum\u2019s Annual Meeting 2021, Lee said he hoped that by hosting the meeting, Singapore could contribute to the continuing global discussion on these issues.<\/p>\n

With the incidence of COVID-19 increasing in Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga<\/strong> said: \u201cI am standing in the frontline of the battle,\u201d and pledged that \u201cno one\u2019s health is left behind.\u201d He cautioned that lessons had to be taken from this experience to \u201cprepare ourselves for future crises.\u201d In this respect, Suga underlined Japan\u2019s \u201cunwavering commitment to free trade\u201d and its commitment to a green recovery, seeking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through mobilizing all policy measures and creating a digital agency.<\/p>\n

He reiterated that Japan would hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games later this year, calling for \u201ccontinued support\u201d in this endeavour.<\/p>\n

\u201cCooperation is proving the most efficient way to deal with the pandemic and its impact,\u201d said Arancha Gonzalez Laya<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs European Union and Cooperation of Spain, echoing a widespread sentiment from the week, before adding: \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have been able to develop a vaccine in less than a year if it hadn\u2019t been for international cooperation \u2013 by the way, public and private.\u201d<\/p>\n

This sense of collaboration between the public and private sectors was noted by Fran\u00e7ois-Philippe Champagne<\/strong>, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, who said \u201cgovernment can do big things, but the partnership between the public and private sector has helped us to do big things fast.\u201d They were joined by H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia in this sentiment, who said the effects of the pandemic have shown that we can\u2019t address global challenges unless we work together.<\/p>\n

Africa took centre-stage with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo<\/strong>, President of Ghana, warning that \u201cthe gains African countries have recorded in trying to create societies of opportunities for all our peoples are being seriously threatened\u201d as a result of the pandemic. He said that those in \u201cAfrica should make every effort to generate for ourselves the additional funds we need to advance\u201d. He went on to lay out a six-point plan for all African nations, including working to secure a return to macroeconomic stability and fiscal responsibility, using digital technology to enhance their socio-economic position and developing robust institutions.<\/p>\n

Institutions featured in a discussion on the international system, with reform of the World Trade Organization topping the agenda. Sigrid Kaag<\/strong>, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, said the organization still \u201cplays a central part\u201d, but warned that \u201cit\u2019s now or never for the WTO.\u201d She argued that three things are required to address reform \u2013 namely tackling current societal challenges, restoring a level playing field and reviving multilateralism, which she described as \u201cthe enabling factor\u201d.
\nElizabeth Truss<\/strong>, Secretary of State for International Trade of the United Kingdom, echoed these sentiments, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s in everybody\u2019s interest to see the system restored, including China\u2019s,\u201d but cautioned that it requires \u201cfull engagement of all those interested in restoring multilateralism\u201d.<\/p>\n

In a week where news outlets reported that the European Union was threatening to block vaccine exports over fears of supply problems, \u201cvaccine nationalism\u201d was hotly debated. Taro Kono<\/strong>, Minister in charge of Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform, Cabinet Office of Japan, admitted his concerns, saying: \u201cIt is understandable to put their own people first, but we are living on the same planet and supply chains are global.\u201d He added: \u201cIf we disrupt supply chains in one way, it could lead to retaliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Retno L. P. Marsudi<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia agreed, issuing her own plea: \u201cPlease stop the politicization of vaccine, please stop the vaccine nationalism. We must remind ourselves vaccines are a humanitarian issue, not a political one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Kang Kyung-Wha<\/strong>,\u00a0Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, took a different tack. After describing the COVAX facility as a \u201csaving grace\u201d, she suggested that it might offer a sustainable mechanism example for dealing with other crises.<\/p>\n

Valdis Dombrovskis<\/strong>, Executive Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People, European Commission, clarified Europe\u2019s position on vaccine exports, saying that the bloc was \u201cfully committed to play its part\u201d in ensuring vaccines\u2019 availability throughout the world. He spoke of a \u201ctime-limited system to ensure clarity on products and exports in the EU\u201d for vaccines that had been purchased in advance and stated clearly that \u201chumanitarian needs and the COVAX facility, were fully exempted\u201d from the measures.<\/p>\n

Several ministers spoke about the China-United States relationship, with most cautiously optimistic of a possible change of dynamic with the incoming Biden administration. Fu Ying,\u00a0<\/strong>Vice-Chairperson, Foreign Affairs Committee, 13th National People\u2019s Congress of China, described the bilateral relationship as one of \u201ccooperation and competition\u201d and suggested that how \u201cChina and the US define [their] relationship is important not just to both countries but to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ernesto Ara\u00fajo<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of External Relations of Brazil, warned of threats to democracy and of what he called \u201ctechno-totalitarianism\u201d used to suppress and control populations. He called for \u201can international system that rewards democracy\u201d.<\/p>\n

About\u00a0<\/strong>The Davos Agenda<\/strong>
\nThe Davos Agenda is a pioneering mobilization of global leaders aimed at rebuilding trust to shape the principles, policies and partnerships needed in 2021. A full week of global programming is under way, dedicated to helping leaders choose innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery over the next year. Heads of state, chief executives, civil society leaders and the global media are participating in almost 100 sessions spanning five themes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Geneva, Switzerland, February 4, 2021 \/ TRAVELINDEX \/ Underlining the day\u2019s theme, Advancing Global and Regional Cooperation, two prime ministers and more than a dozen other ministers tackled subjects ranging from resetting geopolitics to improving international trade. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, echoed many of the ideas and fears espoused by fellow world …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-global-travel-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelindex.org\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}