COVID-19 crisis requires bold response to build back better

The 193 UN Member States of the United Nations called for coordinated and decisive global action to arrest the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild strengthened and resilient economies. The Member States joined together in a consensus outcome document at an informal meeting of the Financing for Development (FfD) Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) today.
“Developing countries need massive and urgent support,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Now is the time to stand by our commitment to leave no one behind. COVID-19 has highlighted global inequalities and injustices that cannot continue, including gender inequality. Returning to our previous path is simply not an option.”
The FfD Forum is convened by ECOSOC and usually sees scores of ministers of finance, foreign affairs and development Cooperation from around the world, along with the heads of UN agencies, the World Bank and the IMF. This year, the outcome document was the first by UN member states to collectively address the financing challenges posed by COVID-19.