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Germany and France have reconfirmed their political, financial and technical support to WHO. His Excellency Olivier V\u00e9ran, Minister for Solidarity and Health of the Republic of France, and His Excellency Jens Spahn Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Germany, met with WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva on 25 June to discuss the status of the global COVID-19 pandemic and measures to help countries where it continues to spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cWHO is honoured to welcome you both here today,\u201d said Dr Tedros during the press conference that followed the tripartite meeting, \u201cwe offer our sincere thanks for your expression of solidarity and support. We\u2019re getting today all the support we need, political and financial. \u00a0I would like to express my gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
Germany will lead the EU Presidency for the next six months. \u201cGlobal health and managing the pandemic will be key themes,\u201d said Minister Spahn. \u201cThis is why I came to discuss the Presidency plans and ways to support WHO during this critical time. Germany remains a strong supporter and a friend; this is why I am here today.\u201d\u00a0 Germany will contribute an additional EUR 41.4 million to WHO\u2018s core work, and an additional EUR 200 million towards the implementation of the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. This follows Germany\u2019s pledge in May of EUR 110 million to WHO in support of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a Global Collaboration to Accelerate the Development, Production and Equitable Access to New COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world needs interconnected crisis management, we need a strong, efficient, transparent WHO, more than ever, that is able to lead and coordinate the response in a global crisis,\u201d added\u00a0 Minister Spahn. \u201cGermany will do its part to give WHO the political, financial and technical support that is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Minister V\u00e9ran reaffirmed France\u2019s confidence in the Organization as the leading global public health agency and its crucial role in the response to epidemic diseases and in this case the COVID-19 pandemic. \u201cI am also here to announce increased support to the work WHO, firstly with contribution in the amount of EUR 90 million towards the establishment of the WHO Academy, a centre of excellence that brings together international cooperation in the area of training and innovation\u201d. He also highlighted the importance of the Germany-France partnership \u2013 both Member States of WHO and of the European Union — saying that international cooperation is needed today more than ever. On this occasion Minister V\u00e9ran also confirmed President Macron\u2019s commitment during the ACT Accelerator Marathon on 4 May to support WHO\u2019s coordination role and to provide and additional contribution of EUR 50 million for 2020-2021.<\/p>\n
Germany and France both have longstanding partnerships with WHO and are strong supporters of global public health. Chancellor Angela Merkel was the first world leader to invite WHO to the G20 in 2017 under Germany\u2019s leadership, thus highlighting importance of health for all people all around the world. Germany was at the center of the development of the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-Being for All, to drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Germany and WHO have engaged together on a multi-year Collaborative Programme providing decisive support in particular to implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and well-being for all people of all ages, health systems strengthening,\u00a0 health emergencies preparedness, anti-microbial resistance and access to medicine.<\/p>\n
For more than 50 years, France has hosted the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon. France has also hosted the WHO Lyon Office for Country readiness strengthening since 2001. More recently, France and WHO signed an agreement to establish the WHO Academy, also in Lyon, which will be a state-of-the-art training centre, bringing the latest lifelong learning innovations to the global health sector.<\/p>\n
In addition to their political, financial and technical support, Germany and France have also donated masks, respirators and other medical supplies and equipment to vulnerable populations still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n