头条英文播报|Leaders voice support for WHO's role

来源：中国日报

Leaders voice support for WHO's role

Photo taken on Jan 22, 2020 shows an exterior view of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.[Photo/Xinhua]

Body acts as global coordinator in battle against common enemy, experts say

As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to spread globally and has caused at least 100,000 deaths worldwide, officials and experts have called for strengthening the role of the World Health Organization in synchronizing international efforts to address the global public health crisis.

They also said that multilateral platforms such as the Group of 20 could also play a bigger part in coordinating countries' strategies and actions to offset the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy.

Addressing the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit on March 26, President Xi Jinping underlined the need to support international organizations in fighting the epidemic, and said China supports the WHO in leading global efforts to develop science-based epidemic control measures and to minimize its cross-border spread. Xi also urged all G20 members to take collective action including cutting tariffs, removing barriers and facilitating the unfettered flow of trade to make joint efforts to restore confidence for global economic recovery.

A statement issued from the summit said the G20 leaders "fully support and commit to further strengthening the WHO's mandate in coordinating the international fight against the pandemic".

China has been working closely with the WHO since the outbreak of the disease. Xi met with the organization's Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Beijing in late January and the two exchanged letters in March. A China-WHO joint expert team traveled in February to several places in the country including Wuhan, the hardest hit city at the time.

China also announced a donation of $20 million to the WHO. The Foreign Ministry said that the donation aims to support the WHO in better coordinating international action against the epidemic, especially helping small and medium-sized countries with weak public health systems build up their epidemic-prevention capabilities.

Speaking to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian by phone on Thursday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China upholds multilateralism and supports the WHO in the global fight against the contagion.

Wang commended the international health body's efforts in leading and coordinating the global fight, saying that the organization and its chief have been committed to "science and objectivity" since the start of the outbreak.

Their important contribution needs to be recognized by the international community and their professional opinions need to be respected by all countries, he said, adding that China commended France's support for the WHO and will partner with France to uphold global health security.

More than 180 countries, including China, co-sponsored a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on April 2 that reaffirms their commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism, supports the central role of the UN in responding to the outbreak, and calls on all countries to follow the recommendations of the WHO and enhance information sharing. The resolution also stresses that discrimination, racism and xenophobia will not be tolerated.

In the face of this severe global public health crisis, the WHO could and should play its role as a global coordinator in the battle against the common enemy of mankind, experts said.

Ren Lin, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economics and Politics, said that with the deepening of the pandemic, international organizations need to mobilize more resources to deal with the crisis.

Coordination through multilateral platforms such as the WHO and the G20 will help developing countries with poorer public health systems improve their ability to fight the disease, and in the meantime, it encourages countries to fight the pandemic in a scientific, rational and cooperative manner, Ren said.

The United States government said the UN agency got "every aspect" of the coronavirus pandemic wrong and threatened to withhold funding. In response, Tedros said his message for the world at this moment is unity and solidarity, instead of politicizing the virus. "Please quarantine politicizing COVID-19. If we want to win, we shouldn't waste time pointing fingers," he said at a news conference last week.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that "it is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19".

In his video conference call with Tedros on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed his belief "that the WHO is key" to responding to the coronavirus crisis.

Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Mahamat also said on social media that the AU fully supports the WHO and Tedros and that countries should focus on collectively fighting the coronavirus as a united global community.

In a statement released on Wednesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the current chairman of the African Union, said that Africa appreciates the exceptional leadership of Tedros since the very earliest stages of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed his support for the WHO's work during his phone conversation with Xi on Friday.

On April 6, 165 political figures and scholars, including former British prime minister Gordon Brown and former secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Rashid Alimov, jointly issued a letter to the governments of the G20 nations.

"A global economic problem requires a global economic response," the letter said. "Our aim should be to prevent a liquidity crisis turning into a solvency crisis, and a global recession becoming a global depression."

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【背景阅读】

维护多边主义，支持世卫组织在全球抗疫合作中发挥引领作用

新华社北京4月10日电 4月9日，国务委员兼外长王毅应约同法国外长勒德里昂通电话。

王毅再次就新冠肺炎疫情向法方表示慰问，并就近日中方举行对抗疫牺牲烈士和逝世同胞哀悼活动期间，法国驻华使馆降半旗致哀表示感谢。

王毅表示，法方在华采购抗疫物资取得积极进展，中方愿意继续提供协助和便利。目前中方民航部门已开通货运包机审批“绿色通道”，将保持急需物资的运输通道的便捷、通畅。中国政府高度重视出口产品质量，对医疗防疫物资出口采取了严格监管措施。希望法方照顾保障好在法中国公民特别是留学人员的健康安全和合法权益。

王毅表示，面对疫情严峻挑战，中法作为联合国安理会常任理事国，应加强团结协作，共同支持多边主义，凝聚国际社会携手抗疫的共识。任何对外甩锅、诿过于人的作法都是不负责任的。我们注意到昨天马克龙总统同谭德塞总干事通电话，重申对世界卫生组织的信任和支持，中方对此表示赞赏。世卫组织秉持科学公正立场，在第一线引领统筹全球抗疫斗争。谭德塞总干事和他的同事们夜以继日工作，为人类公共卫生事业倾注了心血，作出了努力，他们的重要贡献理应得到国际社会的认可，他们的专业意见理应受到世界各国的尊重。中方愿同法方一道，积极支持世卫组织在全球抗疫合作中继续发挥应有作用，共同维护国际公共卫生安全。我们也愿同法方加强合作，共同帮助非洲国家抗击疫情。

勒德里昂表示，中方日前为抗疫牺牲和病亡者举行了悼念活动，法方愿再次向中方表示慰问。感谢中方在防疫物资设备采购、出口和运输方面对法方提供的支持。法方愿同中方就抗疫合作加强多边协调，进一步丰富法中全面战略伙伴关系的内涵。我完全赞同你关于世卫组织的看法，法方坚定支持世卫组织在抗疫中发挥重要作用，支持世卫组织加强在非洲的行动。（来源：新华社）