Morocco supports EU Coronavirus Global Response with €3 million
Morocco, which is one of the 15 partner countries from outside the EU of the Coronavirus Global Response campaign launched by the European Commission, has expressed full support for this global action for universal access to affordable coronavirus vaccination, treatment and testing, and made a contribution of €3 million.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen thanked Morocco for this contribution to the global response to the Coronavirus.
“Shukran (thank you) to our Moroccan friends for your contribution against the Coronavirus,” tweeted the head of the European executive body.
Morocco is the largest African contributor to support the global response to the Coronavirus, launched by the European Commission.
“Morocco, under the leadership of his Majesty King Mohamed VI, is fully committed to supporting and encouraging research to contribute to facing the pandemic and overcoming the Coronavirus”, a release of the European Commission quoted Moroccan Junior Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Driss Ouaouicha, as saying.
“More than ever before, decision makers today are guided by research findings and recommendations,” the Moroccan official said, noting that “the EU Coronavirus Global Response is praiseworthy; it provides a framework not only for Europeans, but also for other willing participants from Africa and elsewhere to come together, work together, and ultimately bring people’s lives, the world over, back to the next normal.”
The campaign has so far raised €9.8 billion in pleges, beyond the initial target of €7.5 billion, thanks to donations from states and private institutions.
Some of the largest contributions came from the European Investment Bank (€2 billion), France (€1.5 billion), the European Commission (€1.4 billion), Japan (€762 million), and Canada (€551 million).
The Commission announced the next steps in the Coronavirus Global Response, indicating that the pledging marathon that started on 4 May will now see the launch of a new campaign with the international advocacy organization Global Citizen, “Global Goal: Unite for our Future”, that will culminate in a Global Pledging Summit on Saturday 27 June.
Together with Global Citizen, the Commission will step up the mobilization of funding to enable the world to overcome this pandemic and avoid another.
The campaign will seek to raise the resources needed to accelerate the development of new solutions and ensure their universal and inclusive access. It means access everywhere, for everyone who needs them, according to the European Commission.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres had welcomed the EU initiative to raise funds to accelerate the development of a vaccine and other diagnostic tools to control COVID-19, saying this is exactly the kind of leadership the world needs today.
The Secretary-General stressed that the new tools could help fully control the pandemic, emphasizing that they must be treated as public goods that would be available to all.
