London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

G-7 Leaders Vow No Pandemic Repeat 

G-7 Leaders Vow No Pandemic Repeat 

Leaders of the G-7 are set to sign the Carbis Bay Declaration, described as a “historic statement setting out a series of concrete commitments to prevent any repeat of the human and economic devastation wreaked by coronavirus.”

The statement, named for the location of the G-7 Summit in the seaside town of Cornwall, England, recognizes the need to tackle the roots of the coronavirus pandemic on a global level. The aim is to slash the time needed to respond to a pandemic, including to develop vaccines, to under 100 days.

Heads of Britain, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – a grouping of the world’s wealthiest democracies known as the Group of Seven – were joined in their discussions on global health by leaders of South Korea, South Africa and Australia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined virtually. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and leaders of other international organizations were also present.

The leaders were presented with recommendations from the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership, a group of international experts established by England earlier this year.

A health worker holds a tray with vials of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 during a priority vaccination program at a community medical center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 6, 2021.


The recommendations include acceleration of the development and licensing of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for any future disease to under 100 days; a commitment to reinforce global surveillance networks and genomic sequencing capacity; and support for reforming and strengthening the World Health Organization.

Some observers responded with skepticism.

“Often the G-7, the problem with it is they announced many grand declarations. And if you look sort of a year later, how many did they fulfill?” said Dan Hamilton, director of the Global Europe Program at the Wilson Center, a global policy research group in Washington.

1 billion vaccines


Earlier in the week, summit host British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the G-7 would announce a plan to donate a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to low- and middle-income countries, including 100 million doses from Britain.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about his administration's pledge to donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to the world's poorest countries, during a visit to St. Ives in Cornwall, England, June 10, 2021.


Johnson’s announcement Thursday came after U.S. President Joe Biden said earlier in the day that his administration was donating 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, half of the G-7 vaccine trove.

The announcement was welcomed by developing countries, but some activists said it wasn't enough.

"If the best G-7 leaders can manage is to donate 1 billion vaccine doses, then this summit will have been a failure," Oxfam GB health policy adviser Anna Marriott said, adding that the world would need 11 billion doses to end the pandemic.

Vaccine patent waiver


The recommendation report, presented by British physician Sir Patrick Vallance and Melinda French Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, does not mention waiving intellectual property rights on vaccines. Bill Gates, founder of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — one of the co-sponsors of the COVAX initiative, the U.N. mechanism to improve vaccine access for low- and middle-income countries — does not support a patent waiver.

Many human rights organizations, including the ONE Campaign and Doctors Without Borders, have called on G-7 leaders to support a waiver on intellectual property behind vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics — the so-called TRIPS waiver proposal by South Africa and India at the World Trade Organization.

On Friday, Guterres reiterated his support for lifting patents, saying, “It’s obvious that we need to share the knowledge and share all the aspects necessary to allow for doubling the production of vaccines.”

France's President Emmanuel Macron walks to a working session at the G-7 summit in Cornwall, England, June 12, 2021.


In May, the U.S. announced it supported an intellectual property (IP) waiver. During the G-7 summit, French President Emanuel Macron said he also supported the proposal.

The European Union, however, is pushing for a different approach: compulsory licensing to scale up vaccine production.

To waive IP on vaccine technology, all members of the WTO must agree – a long and challenging process with dim prospects for now.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×