UN General Assembly
2020

As a result of the crisis, the European Union, which many predicted would become divided and powerless, has taken a historic step towards unity, sovereignty, solidarity and a vision of the future. It was Europe that, together with its African partners, took the initiative at the Group of Twenty (G-20) to help the most vulnerable countries to tackle the pandemic and ease the debt burden that weighs on economies and jeopardizes the continent’s future. For the first time at a G-20 finance meeting, we agreed a debt moratorium for the poorest countries in Africa. It was Europe that, with its partners, created the ACT-A initiative so that resources to combat the pandemic would be accessible to all. Thanks to Europe, along with others, the World Health Assembly decided to learn lessons from the pandemic and improve early-warning and response systems to better prevent such crises. It was Europe that, together with its partners in Asia, America and Africa, has had the drive to develop, propose and provide tangible solutions through cooperation, solidarity and action.