Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee

First Report: Viral Immunity—The FCO’s role in building a coalition against COVID-19

HC 239 Published 6 April 2020

Foreign Affairs Committee Coronavirus: FCDO response Report on parliament.uk ↗

At a glance1 recommendation and 3 conclusions · Government response published 16 June 2020 (deadline 6 June 2020)

The government's response

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government says it "fully agrees" on the importance of greater multilateral cooperation to fight COVID-19 and sets out its international action, and it does not endorse a new body such as a 'G20 for Public Health'.

On disinformation, the government says it "takes the issue of disinformation very seriously" and describes a DCMS-led cross-Whitehall Counter-Disinformation Unit set up to address COVID-19 disinformation and misinformation.
On lessons learned, it agrees with the Committee on their importance and, as a co-sponsor of the 19 May World Health Assembly Resolution, says it will work with the WHO and other member states to continue to improve the agency's health emergency systems.
On support to developing countries, it states it has committed "£764 million" of UK aid funding so far, split across three areas, including building resilience in vulnerable countries and finding a vaccine.
On reforming multilateral organisations, it does not address the 'G20 for Public Health' idea directly. It says the crisis will point to further areas for reform, which will require "serious consideration and concerted action once the pandemic is over".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

What the committee recommended 4

1
Pandemics do not respect borders. Conclusion · paragraph 9
2
Disinformation about COVID-19 has already cost lives. Conclusion · paragraph 10
3
Although the Government is focused rightly on resolving the current crisis, it would be a... Recommendation · paragraph 11
4
The FCO should lead the way in building international support for reforming existing multilateral organisations... Conclusion · paragraph 12

Sources

First Report: Viral Immunity—The FCO’s role in building a coalition against COVID-19 ↗The committee's report, HC 239, parliament.uk
Third Special Report: Viral Immunity—The FCO’s role in building a coalition against COVID-19:Government Response to the Committee’s First Report ↗The government's response, 16 June 2020, parliament.uk

Recommendations and conclusions 4

1
Pandemics do not respect borders. Conclusion · paragraph 9 · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
Pandemics do not respect borders. They require a response based on science, evidence and international co-operation. We welcome the Foreign Secretary’s assurances that the Government is working closely with partner countries to combat COVID-19, both bilaterally and through multilateral forums including the EU, G7 and G20. We also welcome the UK’s financial support for the World Health Organization. But it is clear that existing regional and multilateral organisations, including the WHO, are not achieving the international co-operation needed to fight a global pandemic. It is up to Governments to forge consensus on action required to save lives now and to prepare for future pandemics.
2
Disinformation about COVID-19 has already cost lives. Conclusion · paragraph 10 · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
Disinformation about COVID-19 has already cost lives. It is essential that the Government issues clear and transparent messages at home to confront and rebut disinformation spread by foreign powers. It must also work closely with allies to present a united front where possible, and to help ensure that vital international research efforts are not compromised by propaganda and bad data.
3
Although the Government is focused rightly on resolving the current crisis, it would be a... Recommendation · paragraph 11 · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Recommendation (the committee's words)
Although the Government is focused rightly on resolving the current crisis, it would be a catastrophic error to deprioritise learning lessons from this pandemic and implementing them before the next one. This must be a cross-Government effort, and the FCO should play a key role in its international and diplomatic dimensions. In its response to this report, the FCO should set out: • how data on the virus is being collected and shared with partner countries, and what efforts it has made to encourage and facilitate the sharing of comparable data collected by those countries; • how it supports UK researchers in verifying data arriving from other countries; and • what financial and operational support it is offering to developing countries where infrastructure may be unable to cope with the pandemic, both bilaterally and through multilateral organisations.
4
The FCO should lead the way in building international support for reforming existing multilateral organisations... Conclusion · paragraph 12 · addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Conclusion (the committee's words)
The FCO should lead the way in building international support for reforming existing multilateral organisations and building new structures to respond more effectively to the next pandemic. A ‘G20 for Public Health’, for example, could ensure that co-operation between expert researchers across the globe can flourish, even in the absence of united political leadership. Such a framework should be science-led, with participation contingent on honest co-operation in the open and transparent sharing of public health data.