Canada expected to announce more COVID-19 vaccine donations as G20 kicks off
Global News
Canada has already promised to donate 40 million excess doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax COVID-19 vaccines.
The leaders of the world’s economic powerhouses on Saturday took part in the first in-person summit since the coronavirus pandemic, with climate change, COVID-19 economic recovery and the global minimum corporate tax rate on the agenda.
Italian Premier Mario Draghi welcomed the Group of 20 heads of state to Rome’s Nuvola cloud-like convention center in the Fascist-era EUR neighborhood, which was sealed off from the rest of the capital.
Saturday’s opening session was focused on global health and the economy, with a meeting on the sidelines among U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss next steps on Iran’s nuclear program.
Host leader Draghi opened the forum with a sharp call for redoubled efforts to get vaccines to the world’s least-prosperous countries.
Draghi underlined that while 70 per cent of people in rich countries have been vaccinated, only 3% in the poorest countries have had their shots, calling it “morally unacceptable.”
Draghi urged a new commitment to multilateral cooperation: “The more we go with all our challenges, the more it is clear that multilateralism is the best answer to the problems we face today,” he said. “In many ways, it is the only possible answer.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce added donations of vaccines Saturday for developing countries at the G20 meeting in Rome.
Canada has already promised to donate 40 million excess doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax vaccines, the latter of which is still in development.