European leaders have pledged support for a plan to raise €7.5bn (£6.6bn; $8.3bn) to find a coronavirus vaccine in a jointly signed open letter.
The Brussels-led initiative was set out by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge countries to “pull together” to meet “the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes” as the United Nations says only a global vaccine will allow people to return to normal,
Boris Johnson will also confirm today the UK’s pledge of £388m for vaccine research, testing and treatment.
The conference will be co-hosted by the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia and the European Commission.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are also among those who have signed up to the initiative.
In the open letter published in weekend newspapers, the leaders said that the funds raised would “kickstart an unprecedented global co-operation between scientists and regulators, industry and governments, international organisations, foundations and healthcare professionals”.
“If we can develop a vaccine that is produced by the world, for the whole world, this will be a unique global public good of the 21st Century,” they added.
The letter also pledges support to the World Health Organisation who have faced significant criticism for their handling of the crisis.
Lead Correspondent | David Clews is the Lead Correspondent for UNN, with over 20 years of political/campaigning experience and a wealth of social media and communication skills David gets to the heart of what is really important to the real people of the UK.
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