Statement from the first ACT-Accelerator Facilitation Council meeting

<div title="Page 1"><div><div>As Members and Partners of the Facilitation Council of the ‘<a href="https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator">Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator</a>’ (ACT- Accelerator), on the occasion of the Council’s launch meeting;We share the vision of the ACT-Accelerator as a unique international collaboration to fast-track the development and equitable deployment of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics globally while strengthening related health systems;We thank the World Health Organization and the European Commission for their leadership in co- convening this first meeting of the Facilitation Council at this crucial time, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on the health, societies and economies of all countries, the consequences of which have disproportionately affected poor and vulnerable populations;We welcome South Africa and Norway as the Council’s co-chairs;We recognize that the fastest and most effective solution to the COVID-19 crisis, and the full mitigation of its health, social and economic consequences, is through global multilateral collaboration and international solidarity that supports all countries and populations, including the world’s poorest and at-risk populations such as women and children;We fully align with the ACT-Accelerator goal of rapidly reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 disease globally, which will in turn bolster the capacity of health systems to safely and effectively manage COVID- 19 and restore the global confidence needed to resume economic and societal activity;We appreciate the leadership and work of the ACT-Accelerator Pillar co-conveners and their partners for the substantial achievements to date, while recognizing the considerable challenges they face to realize the full potential of this unprecedented global collaboration;We consider the ACT-Accelerator an integral part of the implementation of the World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA73.1(3)) and that it responds fully to the G20 Leaders’ Commitment of 26 March 2020, as both highlighted the need for end-to-end solutions to accelerate the development and equitable, universal deployment of life saving COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics;We acknowledge the urgency of catalysing a step-change in political support and financing for the ACT- Accelerator in order to enable it to deliver on its mission of accelerating the discovery and deployment of new COVID-19 tools to all people, everywhere;Accordingly, we will:<ol><li>Provide sustained political leadership to galvanize and harness broad international support for the ACT-Accelerator, including in key upcoming fora such as the UN General Assembly, the G20 and G7 processes, the Paris Peace Forum and IMF/World Bank Group meetings and through our respective regional cooperation groups and national processes;</li><li>Advocate in support of the ACT-Accelerator Investment Case in order to secure as a matter of urgency the financial resources required to scale-up for impact and change the course of the pandemic;</li><li>Honour and realize our shared commitment to leave no one behind in this crisis, by working to ensure that all countries and populations have early, affordable and equitable access to the new vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics that the ACT-Accelerator is pursuing.</li></ol> </div></div></div>