At G20, Widodo calls for acceleration of global economic recovery

JAKARTA – President Joko Widodo called for the acceleration of a global economic recovery that is strong, inclusive, and sustainable at the economic and global health session of the G20 Summit in La Nuvola, Rome, Italy, on Saturday.

According to a statement released by the Presidential Secretariat’s Press Bureau, Widodo said the G20 needs to serve as a catalyst for the normalization of economic policy since in the last two years, the world has carried out extraordinary policies in the fiscal, monetary, and finance sectors.

The G20 needs to also be a catalyst for debt liquidity and restructuring for poorer countries, as well as global connectivity for sectors that rely on human and goods mobility, including tourism and manufacturing, he added.

Widodo also underscored cooperation in innovation, digital technology, and green technology, and investment for inclusive and sustainable development, as well as global cooperation for the advancement of developing countries at the meeting.

He further called for the strengthening of global health architecture.

To materialize this vision, he made three suggestions.

First, countries must formulate a mechanism for pooling global health resources, including funding, vaccines, medicines, medical equipment, and medical workers, that can readily be deployed to countries in need, he said.

Secondly, Widodo called upon all leaders at the summit to establish a standard for health protocols with regard to activities between countries, including travel health protocols.

Last, he believed that the G20 needs to be a part of the solution for reducing gaps and scarcity in the availability of vaccines, medicines, and essential medical equipment. (Antara)