“Shaping an interconnected world” is the motto of the G20 German Presidency, with the aim to intensify international cooperation around three main themes: building resilience, improving sustainability and assuming responsibility. The agenda ensures continuity with the German G7 Presidency in 2015, and reflects the willingness to integrate issues related to development and sustainability, as making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is seen as key to make the global economy fit for the future.
Building on the G7 Ise-Shima Vision for Global Health adopted under Japan’s Presidency in 2016, a high profile will be given to global health, with a focus on improving health care, addressing AMR and increasing efforts to put in place mechanisms to prevent the outbreak of pandemics.
Global health marked the starting point of the German Presidency with an expert conference on “Taking Action against health threats – is the world better prepared?” on 7-8 December 2016 in Berlin. Global Health Centre (GHC) Director Professor Ilona Kickbusch and GHC Director of Research Dr Suerie Moon were among the speakers.
The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange on lessons learnt from recent outbreaks and emergency responses, as well as on best practices to implement these lessons. The central role of the World Health Organization (WHO) was reaffirmed, as the organisation is expected to detect, coordinate and manage outbreaks while acting as an independent global reference organisation. However, it was stressed that the financing of mechanisms to prevent and respond to global health crises remains a major challenge, as shown by WHO’s Emergency Contingency Fund. G20 members were also called upon to “walk the talk” in closing the gaps in pandemics preparedness in terms of IHR implementation, Joint External Evaluation (JEE) to assess gaps in national health systems, and ensuring access to health and health care.
On 19-20 May 2017, the first ever G20 health ministers’ meeting will be held in Berlin focusing on how global health crisis management can be improved. A simulation exercise will take place to get insights in response and coordination mechanisms, including communication and reporting channels, rapid response in the regions in question, and the involvement of WHO and other organisations.
Along with global health, the G20 will pay particular attention to energy and climate strategies to accelerate progress on the Paris Agreement. Empowering women in the economy, in particular improving the quality of women’s jobs, is also on the agenda. In line with discussions on the central theme of digitalisation, the focus will be on giving women in developing countries easier access to information and communication technologies.
The G20 German Presidency will, therefore, contribute to maintaining health on the global political agenda and to further integrate development policy into the G20’s work. However, alignment of the G20 agenda with the SDGs needs to be further strengthened over the coming years to ensure a more comprehensive approach to global health and, more broadly, to uphold the group’s commitments on SDG implementation.