Religious Development Group Releases Statement on G20 Summit and Communiqué

G20 heads of state met in Rome for the first in-person meeting of the group since the pandemic started. COVID response and recovery, vaccines and climate were on the agenda.

Eric LeCompte is the Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network. Ahead of the G20 Summit, Jubilee USA Network organized 286 religious, development, labor and environmental groups to press the G20 on pandemic response solutions. LeCompte, releases the following statement on the G20 Leaders' Summit and Communiqué:

"Ending the pandemic and preparing for future global health crises were central to the G20 Rome agenda.

"The world economy faces $5.3 trillion in losses over the next five years if we don’t get COVID under control.

"The tax agreement is good news, but we need to work on a higher mininum tax rate and including developing countries.

"While the G20's new vaccine task force is promising, we still don't have a plan to get the majority of people in developing countries vaccinated by the middle of next year. 

"Wealthy countries are experiencing supply shortages because of the lack of vaccines in developing countries.

"The G20 must move debt relief more quickly as too many countries struggle with food shortages and health crises. 

"Debt relief should be extended to all developing countries, not just those considered the poorest.

"The G20 calls for the private sector to participate in debt relief for poor countries.

"The G20 debt relief framework must include processes that ensure all creditors participate in debt relief.

"Tackling IMF surcharges on loans will provide more space for countries to deal with the economic and health impacts of the coronavirus crisis.

"The G20 should do more to support debt relief so developing countries can take more action to confront the climate crisis."

"G20 decisions influence what can happen during the UN climate summit in Glasgow.

"The G20 Summit reviewed ways to deliver more emergency currency, or Special Drawing Rights, to developing countries to fight the pandemic and climate crisis.

"The G20's call to establish the new resiliency trust will help more than just the poorest countries. Some developing middle-income countries can access resources to fight the pandemic and climate change.

"As developing countries struggle with debt payments and spend money on pandemic recovery, they don't have the funds to address climate change.

"The G20 should do more to support debt relief so developing countries can take more action to confront the climate crisis."