'Global Infectious Disease Response Cooperation Support Group' Launched… WHO Director-General "Welcomes Korea-led Launch"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government held the inaugural meeting of the ‘Global Infectious Disease Response Cooperation Support Group (G4IDR)’ via video conference on the morning of the 20th (Geneva time) to lead the formation of an effective international response mechanism to global infectious disease threats, including the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

This group is expected to operate centered in Geneva, where major international health organization headquarters such as the World Health Organization (WHO) are located. This is the first Geneva-based group to be launched since the outbreak of COVID-19. The plan is to lead action-oriented discussions for more efficient international health governance based on lessons learned from COVID-19, centered on a core group composed of a small number of regional countries playing leading roles in health sectors, including WHO Executive Board member countries.

The support group will initially operate around a core group of eight countries including South Korea, Singapore, Turkey, UAE, Morocco, Kenya, Mexico, and Peru, and will be run in an open format allowing interested countries to participate.

The launch ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who congratulated the establishment of the support group. Over 80 participants, including the UN diplomatic corps in Geneva, international organization officials, and health experts, took part in a panel discussion on the theme of ‘Opportunities and Challenges in Global Infectious Disease Response.’

In her congratulatory remarks, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha stated, "Global infectious diseases like COVID-19 cannot be successfully addressed by efforts at the individual country level alone. Therefore, I hope that the newly launched support group, proposed by our government, will successfully contribute to strengthening international health governance discussions at the Geneva level."

Representatives from other core group countries highly evaluated South Korea’s role in leading the launch of this like-minded group in Geneva, the center of health sector discussions where WHO is located, and expressed their commitment to jointly contribute to strengthening WHO and related health organizations in the future.

WHO Director-General Tedros, in his congratulatory remarks, welcomed South Korea’s leadership in launching the support group, which has demonstrated exemplary practices in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis. He assessed that the support group will act as a catalyst in effectively responding to COVID-19 and any future pandemics and pledged WHO’s support and assistance.

Additionally, representatives from other international health organizations such as the Global Fund, Gavi, and IVI expressed their welcome and support for the launch of the support group, highlighting the increasing need for international cooperation and solidarity in responding to COVID-19 and other global infectious diseases, and expressed expectations for the group’s central role.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained, "On the 18th, President Moon Jae-in attended the World Health Assembly (WHA) and emphasized the importance of close international cooperation and solidarity to overcome COVID-19," adding, "The launch of the support group is expected to lead discussions on strengthening international health governance to effectively respond not only to the current COVID-19 response but also to other potentially fatal infectious disease threats and challenges that the international community may face in the post-COVID-19 era."

Meanwhile, the support group, centered on South Korea as the chair country, will closely consult among the core group to prepare specific action plans and, in line with the agendas of major health organizations such as the WHO Executive Board, will carry out joint statements, expert invitation events, and cooperation events with various stakeholders to raise awareness and set agendas in the infectious disease response field.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.