Restructuring Post-COVID Global Health Governance through Global Solidarity: The Role of G7 & G20

COVID-19 outbreak became a global pandemic causing a huge number of deaths across the world, including in high-income countries (HICs) where stronger health systems were expected to be in place. Although previous infectious diseases were discussed in the context of HICs’ development assistance to low- to middle- income countries (LMICs) as they were considered as issues specific to the LMICs, as exemplified by the so-called “vaccine diplomacy”, discussions began to involve geopolitics as HICs faced COVID-19 as their own crisis and a matter of national security.
COVID-19 has also exposed the health disparity between the Global South and North once again with the global inequity in access to essential medical tools. Health inequity within countries became evident, too, as infections were found to be more prevalent among people and communities under vulnerable conditions. In addition, there is a need to address how health challenges relate to and compound with other threats. Climate change could possibly increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, and economic downturn could also exacerbate catastrophic health spending.
Given this context, in 2021, JCIE and IFI convened a study group to conduct a one-year research project, “The International Order and Japan’s Role in the COVID and Post-COVID Era”. The project examined the issue of restructuring global health governance given COVID-19 and how Japan should contribute to the effort in view of Japan’s role as a host of the G7 Summit in 2023.
Based on the recommendations of the study group (to be released to the public via the JCIE and IFI websites in the morning of March 16 Japan time), this symposium will feature a discussion on how to restructure the global health governance architecture based on global solidarity so that it addresses the issues of global health inequity and respond to the interconnectivity between health and other challenges. To discuss the role of the G7 and G20 in this process, the symposium will feature speakers including the Co-Chairs of the T(Think) 7 and T20 Task Forces, which are putting together policy recommendations on global health from think tanks in the lead up to this year’s G7 and G20.

Secretariat, Institute for Future Initiatives, UTokyo
Technology Governance Policy Research Unit
E-mail: ifi_tg★ifi.u-tokyo.ac.jp（★→@）