Saudi Minister of State, Cabinet Member and Saudi G20 Sherpa Dr. Fahd Bin Abdullah Almubarak and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Ambassador Abdullah Bin Yahya Al-Muallimi recently participated in the virtual extraordinary meeting of Group of Friends of Financing Sustainable Development Goals. Dr. Almubarak briefed the meeting on the outcomes of the extraordinary virtual summit of the leaders of the Group of Twenty that was called by Saudi Arabia and chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The meeting aimed to enhance international cooperation in combating the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19), reduce its health and economic repercussions on the countries and peoples of the world, address international trade turmoil, protect the global economy, strive to ensure adequate funding to contain the epidemic, protect people, especially the weakest and neediest, and provide assistance to all countries in need of assistance. He stressed that Saudi Arabia is working within the Group of Twenty with the aim of establishing a global initiative to prepare for epidemics and responding to them more quickly and effectively in the future. Dr. Almubarak pointed out that the Group of Twenty pledged to pump more than $5 trillion in order to protect the global economy and protect jobs and income, and the leaders agreed to work together to ensure the flow of vital medical supplies and agricultural products, and other goods and services across borders. He noted that the Group is committed to continuing to work together to facilitate international trade, coordinate responses in ways that avoid unnecessary interference in traffic and international trade, stressing the need for action, solidarity and international cooperation, and that became more urgent than ever to counter this epidemic. In his speech, Ambassador Al-Muallimi reviewed the Kingdom's efforts in combating the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19) at national and international levels, and its cooperation with the United Nations, its organizations and bodies specialized in supporting international efforts to combat this pandemic and reduce its health and economic repercussions on countries, especially developing countries. This they did by responding to the urgent appeal launched by the World Health Organization and providing it with $ 10 million to support the organization's efforts to combat the epidemic. Ambassador Al-Muallimi also said that despite local efforts to combat the pandemic, the Kingdom has not neglected its humanitarian roles towards the international community and rushed to provide assistance to the countries in need. He noted Saudi Arabia's support for the legitimate Yemeni government's efforts to confront the pandemic and protect the Yemeni people from its repercussions with an amount of $ 25 million, indicating that this amount comes in addition to the support provided by the Kingdom to the humanitarian response plan in Yemen for the year 2020 with $ 500 million. He pointed out that the Kingdom's international efforts to combat the pandemic has seen it working in partnership with a number of member states of the United Nations to submit a resolution in the General Assembly on the united response against global health threats in combating (COVID-19). The seeking of an united response comes following the points that were agreed upon at the extraordinary virtual summit of the G20 countries, and turns those points into concrete recommendations, procedures and plans in order to help the United Nations and the international community to achieve them. Ambassador Al-Muallimi called on all member states to support this important decision, stressing the need to cooperate with the United Nations, the international community and relevant stakeholders to ensure that economic, humanitarian and financial implications of pandemic (COVID -19) are addressed in a timely manner. — SPA
