The European Union has launched a package of measures called "Team Europe" to support third countries in the fight against the OCVID19 pandemic and its consequences, following a decision taken at a teleconference of the Ministers responsible for development assistance. The aim of the package is to combine resources from the EU, its Member States and financial institutions, in particular the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The Commission and the European Investment Bank have already committed themselves to financial support of over € 15,6 billion from existing programs. The EU Member States today underlined their commitment to contribute to this joint effort and to contribute in a similar way, as did the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The total package of "Team Europe" exceeds 20 billion Euros.
The EU intends to direct it to help the most vulnerable countries in Africa, the EU's neighbors - the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership countries, the Middle East and North Africa, parts of Asia and the Pacific, Latin America America and the Caribbean. It will also focus on those most at risk, including children, women, the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons and their host communities, and includes support for Global Health Organization and the United Nations and the provision of humanitarian assistance to the affected countries.
The EU has announced that as a global player and major contributor to the international assistance system, it will promote a coordinated multilateral response, in cooperation with the United Nations, international financial institutions, and the G7 and G20.
The package was the subject of a teleconference by EU Development Ministers, chaired by High Representative Josep Borrell. Commissioner for International Relations Jutta Urpilainen and Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for the Neighborhood and Enlargement, presented what was approved earlier by the College of Commissioners.
EU Development Ministers hold informal videoconference to discuss implications COVID-19.
High Representative Borrell then held a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, focusing on the serious global effects of the pandemic and in particular its impact on the most vulnerable parts of the world.
Mr Borrell reiterated the European Union 's support for the UN Secretary - General' s call for a global ceasefire. He also expressed support for the response and rehabilitation plan COVID-19 of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The High Representative and the Secretary-General of the United Nations agreed that global coordination for an exit strategy must be strengthened to ensure that the pandemic ends and that the financial cost of the crisis is reduced. At the request of the UN Secretary-General, the High Representative agreed that the EU would make every effort to play a leading role in combating the pandemic worldwide.
The invitation was an opportunity for the High Representative to brief the UN Secretary-General on the European Union's response to the pandemic in Europe and abroad. The High Representative expressed his concern about the devastating effects that the current pandemic could have on Africa.
They both agreed that in times of global uncertainty, the strategic partnership between the European Union and the United Nations remains more important and stronger than ever.
Source: KYPE