Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 7
7
The Government must convene a global taskforce to promote the standardisation of the remaining international...
Recommendation
The Government must convene a global taskforce to promote the standardisation of the remaining international travel requirements that were introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Government should pursue bilateral negotiations with countries with high rates of vaccination to facilitate the removal of such restrictions. (Paragraph 35) Consumer rights
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government has noted this recommendation. However, it should be noted that national border measures are a sovereign prerogative. Nevertheless, the Government agrees on the importance of supporting greater alignment on international travel requirements that were introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic where possible. The Government has, and will continue to have, a leadership role in shaping the emerging global framework for international travel in a steady state of an international travel landscape that co-exists with an endemic COVID-19. Throughout 2021, the UK convened G7 Transport and Health Ministers and senior officials to discuss ways to support the reopening of international travel. These discussions culminated in the G7 Ministerial on 30 September, chaired by the Transport Secretary, where Transport and Health Ministers agreed: a set of high-level principles to guide the implementation of travel measures, commitments to share information and lessons learned, and to work together in other multilateral fora to drive broader political momentum on these issues. Through our membership of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce, we will continue to work to deliver a global harmonised approach to travel restart and recovery. We will also seek to agree the development of a pandemic framework to guide states and industry to consistently manage any future pandemic and encourage standardisation of measures. The Government will also continue to take an active role in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) forum on safe international mobility, including at the upcoming ‘High-level meeting on Safe International Travel’ where Ministers will discuss ways to standardise travel measures through clear guidelines based on lessons learned from the pandemic. Since the UK removed all border health measures in March, a significant number of other countries have either removed all COVID-19 border measures or have eased their entry requirements. The Government will continue to engage bilaterally with other states to facilitate the return of international travel.