Forum pools wisdom for pandemic fight

Participants in an international online forum that brought together global think tanks have called on the international community to strengthen solidarity and cooperation－the most forceful weapon in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement they released on Wednesday.

Influential analysts from 48 countries and nine international organizations agreed that deepening information sharing, boosting support for developing nations, ensuring vaccine accessibility worldwide and mitigating economic fallout are among key actions needed to promote an urgently needed global collaboration mechanism, the statement said.

They also appealed to governments around the world to shoulder the responsibility of protecting their own people and simultaneously contribute to global efforts against the virus.

"We believe that strengthening prevention and control and safeguarding people's lives and health are of paramount importance, and that all countries should live up to their responsibilities for their people and promote global cooperation against COVID-19," the joint statement said.

It also stressed that major infectious diseases are the common enemy of humanity, and the lives and health of all people are now closely entwined in an unprecedented way.

The statement called for supporting the leadership role of the World Health Organization and intensifying sharing of control policies, treatment methods and scientific research.

The equal right to life and health for all countries, races and social groups should be guaranteed, and more comprehensive supportive resources should be delivered while avoiding discrimination and prejudice, it said.

In response to long-term challenges from the pandemic, such as addressing shortcomings in global governance and reining in global inequality, the statement called for a scientific and rational perspective to tackle issues head on and in united action.

The two-day forum, named "Global Think Tanks Online Forum on International Cooperation to Combat COVID-19", brought together over 160 analysts or representatives from think tanks and media outlets around the world to discuss how to increase global cooperation and build a global community of health for all.