A Joint OPEN LETTER FROM World Political Parties CONCERNING closer
International Cooperation against COVID-19
Today, as COVID-19 is spreading
rapidly across the globe, it constitutes the most urgent and serious challenge
to both the health of the humanity and world peace and development.
Faced with this unprecedented
situation, we, major political parties of various countries tasked with the
weighty responsibility of improving people’s wellbeing, promoting national
development and safeguarding world peace and stability, hereby issue our joint
appeal as follows:
I.
We pay our loftiest tribute to all the people, health workers in particular,
who devote themselves to saving lives and protecting people’s health. We extend
our heartfelt sympathies and solicitude to those who are suffering from pain
and whose lives are under the threat of COVID-19 as well as the bereaved
families of those deceased. We also express our deep mourning for the
unfortunate loss of lives in the outbreak.
II.
We recognise that if the COVID-19 outbreak is not effectively and promptly
contained, it will inflict even greater harm to the lives, safety and health of
many more people, and exert a severe impact on the economic and social
development of most countries as well as on international exchanges and
cooperation. We call on all countries to put the lives, safety and health of
the people above everything else and take resolute and forceful measures to put
an end to the spread of COVID-19.
III. We
support countries to put in place contingency plans and strategies for
combating COVID-19 in light of their specific national conditions and to
strengthen cooperation, with equal emphasis on containing the further spread
and on patient treatment. Meanwhile, modern science and technology must be
applied to the full to ensure the quickest and best possible results.
IV. We call
on the general public of all countries to comply with prevention and mitigation
measures with a due sense of social responsibility. We encourage countries to
fully leverage the strength of civil society organisations and volunteers with
a view to unleashing the power of all social sectors to combat COVID-19.
V. We encourage all countries, while devoting efforts to
epidemic control, to adopt an integrated approach to ensure economic and social
development, take targeted measures to protect vulnerable groups and the SMEs,
and honour their commitment to people’s living standards and social progress.
We call on all countries to step up the international coordination of
macroeconomic policies to maintian stability of global financial market as well
as that of industrial and supply chains, and to reduce or exempt tariffs for
trade facilitation so as to prevent world economic recession. Countries are
also encouraged to maintain an appropriate level of international exchanges, in
particular to facilitate the cross-border transportation of urgently needed
medical equipment and protective materials for the fight against COVID-19.
VI. We are aware that the virus respects no borders, and no
country can respond to the challenges alone in the face of the outbreak.
Countries must enhance their consciousness of a community with a shared future
for mankind, proactively rendering mutual help and support to one another as
the situation becomes more difficult. Closer international cooperation, coordinated
policies, concerted actions, and mobilisation of resources and forces globally
will enable us to defeat this virus, a common enemy to all of humanity.
VII. We take
note of the significant progress in the fight against COVID-19 in China and
some other countries, which has bought time and offered experience to the rest
of the international community. We highly commend countries including China for
adopting an open, transparent and responsible attitude to disclosing related
information in a timely fashion, sharing experience on response and patient
treatment, and in particular providing medical and other supplies to the best
of their ability to other affected countries. These represent a major
contribution to the global fight against COVID-19, boosting the hope and
confidence of countries that they can win this battle.
VIII. We
welcome the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit Statement on COVID-19 and support
countries to strengthen the sharing of experience and medical cooperation in
containing the outbreak, including joint research and development of specific
medicines, vaccines and tests. We call on the provision of material, technical
and other support to developing countries and countries with vulnerable public
health systems. Let the sunlight of cooperation disperse the darkness of the
pandemic.
IX. We call
for science-based professional discussions on issues like prevention measures
and the origin of the virus. We strongly oppose the politicisation of public
health issues and the stigmatisation of other countries under the excuse of
COVID-19. We stand firmly against all discriminatory comments and practices
against any country, region or ethnic group, and call on governments of all countries
to take proactive measures to protect the health, safety and legitimate
interests of foreign nationals and students they host.
X. We are of
the view that the COVID-19 outbreak has laid bare the need for all countries to
further foster the global governance outlook of achieving shared growth through
discussion and collaboration and to support the leading role of the United
Nations and the World Health Organisation in global public health governance.
We call for all parties to enhance coordination and cooperation within the
framework of the G20 and other international mechanisms for effective
international prevention and control as we strive to build a global community
with a shared future for public health.
As major political parties from countries of the
world, we undertake to maintain close communication under the unusual circumstances, and ensure better performance of the due role
of political guidance for the purpose of injecting political energy into the
global fight against COVID-19. We
firmly believe that our current difficulties are only temporary, just as the
sunlight shall eventually shine after each storm. If the international
community makes concerted efforts with confidence and resolve and takes a
science-based and targeted approach, it will definitely win the final victory
in the global blocking action against COVID-19. It is our belief that, after the pandemic, the community with a
shared future for mankind will emerge stronger and humanity will embrace a
brighter tomorrow.
The
Communist Party of China and more than 230 political parties, including the New
Communist Party of Britain, have signed this Joint Open Letter calling for
carrying out closer international co-operation to beat COVID-19. The letter,
which was published on 2nd April 2020 is the first joint appeal of major world
political parties for strengthening international cooperation since the
COVID-19 outbreak.
