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Coronavirus crisis to dominate Saudi-hosted G20 summit
RIYADH, Nov 21, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Saudi Arabia hosts the G20 summit
Saturday in a first for an Arab nation, with the downsized virtual forum
dominated by efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and a crippling
economic crisis.
The two-day meeting of the world’s wealthiest nations comes as President
Donald Trump refuses to concede a bitter election and campaigners criticise
what they call the G20’s inadequate response to the worst global recession in
decades.
World leaders will huddle virtually as international efforts intensify for
a large-scale roll out of coronavirus vaccines after a breakthrough in
trials, and as calls grow for G20 nations to plug funding shortfalls.
Amid a raging pandemic, the summit, which is usually an opportunity for
one-on-one engagements between world leaders, is reduced to brief online
sessions of what some observers call “digital diplomacy”.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will preside over the summit, with sources close
to the organisers saying climate change was among the issues topping the
agenda.
World leaders, from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Chinese President Xi
Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, are expected to make speeches at
the summit, the sources said.
Trump will also participate, a US official said.
G20 nations have contributed more than $21 billion to combat the pandemic,
which has infected 56 million people globally and left 1.3 million dead, and
injected $11 trillion to “safeguard” the virus-battered world economy,
organisers said.
The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
projects global economic output will contract by 4.5 percent this year.
The summit “will seek to strengthen international cooperation to support
the global economic recovery,” said Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-
Jadaan.
“The G20 committed in March to do ‘whatever it takes to overcome the
pandemic and protect lives and livelihoods,'” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
said in a statement.
“As we meet this weekend, we must hold ourselves to account for that
promise.”
But G20 leaders face mounting pressure to help stave off possible credit
defaults across developing nations.
– ‘Bolder measures’ –
Last week, G20 finance ministers declared a “common framework” for an
extended debt restructuring plan for virus-ravaged countries, but campaign
groups have described the measure as insufficient.
The constituent nations extended a debt suspension initiative for
developing countries until the end of June next year.
MORE/SSS/0924 hrs
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But UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged G20 leaders to offer a
“firm committment” to extend the initiative until the end of 2021.
International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva has
warned that the global economy faces a hard road back from the Covid-19
downturn even as vaccines are now in sight.
G20 nations must help plug a $4.5 billion funding gap in the so-called ACT-
Accelerator — a programme that promotes an equitable distribution of COVID-
19 vaccines — to rein in the pandemic, said a joint statement signed by
Norway’s prime minister, South Africa’s president, the heads of the European
Union and the World Health Organization.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a staunch Trump defender, will be
present in Saudi Arabia during the summit.
Trump, who continues to reject his election loss, took part Friday in an
Asia-Pacific summit.
Many of his fellow G20 leader have already congratulated President-elect
Joe Biden.
– ‘Serious abuses’ –
Ahead of the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
said she hoped the US will adopt a more multilateralist stance under Biden.
“We also expect of course new momentum from the new US administration” on
climate change, reversing Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord,
she added.
Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has overshadowed the event.
Campaigners and families of jailed activists have launched vigorous drives
to highlight the kingdom’s human rights abuses.
Key among them are the siblings of jailed activist Loujain al-Hathloul, on
hunger strike for more than 20 days demanding regular family contact.
But some Western officials have indicated human rights would not be raised
at the summit, saying they prefer to use bilateral forums to discuss the
issue with the Saudi government.
“The G20 presidency has conferred an undeserved mark of international
prestige on the [Saudi] government,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East
director at Human Rights Watch.
“Instead of signalling its concern for Saudi Arabia’s serious abuses, the
G20 is bolstering the Saudi government’s well-funded publicity efforts to
portray the country as ‘reforming’ despite a significant increase in
repression.”
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