Global Citizen Launches A ‘Recovery Plan for The World’ - A Campaign to End Covid-19 For All and Kickstart a Global Recovery

(New York, New York | Genève, Switzerland | Brussels, Belgium – February 23, 2021) – International advocacy organization Global Citizen today launched a Recovery Plan for the World - a campaign to end COVID-19 for all and kickstart a global recovery. The Recovery Plan for the World is a year-long campaign and series of events that aims to: 1) end COVID-19 for all; 2) end the hunger crisis; 3) resume learning everywhere; 4) protect the planet; and 5) advance equity for all.

“I am incredibly proud of Global Citizen’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but massive inequalities remain and we urgently need to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are made available equitably. Our ‘Recovery Plan for the World’ sets a clear agenda that will inspire millions of citizens to advocate for five of the most critical health, social and economic challenges that currently face humanity, as a result of the pandemic,” said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen. “A virus anywhere remains a virus everywhere, and our goal is to unite world leaders, artists and entertainers, philanthropists and CEOs to end COVID-19 for all and kickstart a global recovery.” 

In 2020, Global Citizen rallied to help deliver critical financial commitments to fight COVID-19 and led advocacy efforts, which resulted in nearly USD $1.1 billion being disbursed to support the pandemic response. Global Citizen’s efforts centered on the equitable distribution of COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines for everyone everywhere, and the organization’s advocacy also addressed the effect of the pandemic more broadly. Acting as a continuation of the impact achieved through Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home and Global Goal: Unite for Our Future campaigns, Global Citizen’s efforts in 2021 will focus on the final push to end the pandemic and get the world back on the path to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“Global Citizen has been a leading force in bringing together civil society and the private sector. We need citizens of the world to mobilise again. We need out of the box thinking and using all means available,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission. “This is why I’m proud to support, as President of the European Commission, the new Global Citizen campaign, called ‘Recovery Plan for the World.”

As part of Global Citizen’s ‘Recovery Plan for the World’ policy framework, the organization is advocating for commitments from governments, philanthropists and the private sector to:

• End COVID-19 for All: COVID-19 has threatened the health and economic security of every person around the world. Global Citizen will campaign in support of the ACT-Accelerator, a global partnership launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) to fight COVID-19 through the development and equitable distribution of COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines. More than USD $22 billion is still required to ensure at least two billion vaccines and other COVID-19 medical interventions are available to the poorest countries by the end of 2021. Global Citizen is calling on all wealthy countries to donate excess doses to other countries in need to ensure vaccines are made globally available to everyone, everywhere before vaccine resistant variants begin to emerge and gather pace.
• End the Hunger Crisis: With the pandemic still occurring Global Citizen has not let other issues go unnoticed. With the number of people facing hunger set to double as a direct result of the pandemic, the organization will advocate to ensure good food for all. Global Citizen will call for contributions towards closing the financial gap for programs that work to reduce food waste, support smallholder farmers, and aid in attaining healthier and better school feeding programs for kids of all ages. Global Citizen is advocating for increases in long-term investments to ensure food systems remain resilient and production is not disrupted during the recovery process.
• Resume Learning Everywhere: Children across the global community have been learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and unfortunately many do not have access to the educational tools they need to thrive. At least USD $300 million is needed to support millions of marginalized children's access to quality and inclusive education, school meals, empowerment for girls and children with disabilities, mental and physical health programming, teacher training, technology, remote learning resources and more. Global Citizen is calling on governments, businesses, and philanthropists to increase investment in global education, and ensure resources and action to prioritize the world’s most vulnerable learners, including children that are living through conflict and crisis, girls, and young learners who lack internet access.
• Protect the Planet: Not a single country is taking sufficient action to stop climate change, while only a quarter of Fortune Global 500 companies have made a public commitment to become carbon neutral, use 100% renewable power, or meet a science-based emission reduction target by 2030. Global Citizen is advocating for additional climate finance, supporting low carbon economies and development, and promoting carbon neutrality, in line with preventing global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels. Global Citizen’s advocacy efforts will focus on supporting underserved communities and people living in extreme poverty.
• Advance Equity for All: Global Citizen is committed to promoting an equitable and just recovery, including access to COVID-19 vaccinations and medical countermeasures for all. Global Citizen will partner with organizations seeking to address the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 in the United States and worldwide, and will call on world leaders to commit to filling the global justice gap. Global Citizen is calling on the private sector to lean in through transformative commitments to people-centered justice, gender equality, racial equity, inclusion of persons with disabilities, and support for human rights and justice defenders worldwide.

More information about the policy aims for the campaign can be found in Global Citizen Presents: A Recovery Plan for the World, a white paper that was released today. Download the white paper HERE.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, welcomed Global Citizen’s initiative, saying it complemented the U.N. system’s focus for a sustainable recovery to the pandemic, including the WHO Manifesto for a healthy recovery from COVID-19. 

“Since COVID-19 gripped the world, WHO and our partners have been focused on protecting health and saving lives, calling for vaccine equity and following proven public health measures to protect people from the virus,” said Dr. Tedros. “But the impacts of the pandemic go far beyond health and have deeply affected all areas of life, from economies to education. The world must come together to build a durable response to COVID-19 to ensure communities are protected from future emergencies, build resilient systems to withstand shocks, and can reap the benefits of truly sustainable growth.”

H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa continued, “South Africa is proud to be one of the supporting countries for the five-point Recovery Plan by Global Citizen under the patronage of the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and in partnership with Italy, the G20 Chair. The urgency to get a vaccine to everyone, everywhere cannot be underestimated. As a country we will be joining efforts to help the world recover better by ending the pandemic as a priority, addressing food security and hunger, getting all our children back to school, addressing climate change and protecting the most marginalised. We must ensure that no one is left behind.”  

Leaders in music and entertainment, including: Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Femi Kuti, H.E.R., Hugh Jackman, Idris & Sabrina Elba, Jonas Brothers, Lang Lang, Lars Ulrich, Miley Cyrus, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rachel Brosnahan, SuperM, Usher and Yemi Alade have already raised their hands to support the campaign, many of whom are long-time partners of the organization. Global Citizen Ambassadors Jill and Olivia Vedder have also signed on to support the Recovery Plan for the World campaign.  

With the support of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and World Leaders Emmanuel Macron, President of France; Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa; Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica; Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador; Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore; Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany; Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji; Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway; Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada; António Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal; Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia; Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand; Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic; Robert Abela, Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta; Micheál Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland; Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium; as well as H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations; Pedro Brolo Vila, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala; John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; and the Government of Paraguay. In total, 23 governments and the United Nations have stepped forward to stand in solidarity with the Recovery Plan for the World effort and have also expressed their collective support for the campaign.

“While COVID-19 has touched every individual on the planet, the pandemic’s impact on the most vulnerable—especially those living in extreme poverty—has been devastating, leaving people worse off than they were, even just a year ago. More than 1.5 billion children have had their education disrupted and millions of families are facing starvation. But the action we take together can make a difference,” said Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Actor, Producer, Author & Global Citizen Ambassador. “By using our voices to call on world leaders, corporations and philanthropists to step up and take urgent action, and by supporting the ‘Recovery Plan for the World’, we can impact millions of lives for the better now, not later. Global Citizen’s plan provides a clear path forward to ensure that we get children back in classrooms, food back on the table for families, and get vaccines, tests and treatments to everyone, everywhere.”

In partnership with Declan Kelly and Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm, a coalition of many of the world's leading companies, including: Citi, Cisco, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G and Verizon will work together to engage the private sector to help achieve the Recovery Plan for the World's policy priorities. Co-chairs Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco; Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon; Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines; James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company; Marc Pritchard, CBO of P&G; Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation; and Jane Fraser, incoming CEO of Citi will lead their respective sectors to step up in-kind and value chain support, and investment for the campaign. Lorraine Twohill, CMO of Google and Mindy Grossman, CEO of WW International will also be supporting leaders of this campaign.  

“The private sector plays a critical role in ending the COVID-19 pandemic and getting the world back on track to solving some of our most pressing challenges,” said Declan Kelly, Teneo Chairman & CEO and Global Citizen Board Member. “Teneo is incredibly proud to partner with Global Citizen on this historic campaign alongside many CEOs who have also committed to tackling the urgent challenges facing humanity. In addition to our role helping lead the campaign, we are calling on more companies to join our coalition to help end the COVID-19 pandemic, and advance progress and recovery across the globe.”

Recovery Plan for the World campaign partners, include: The World Health Organization (WHO), The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, The COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), UNITAID, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), Education Cannot Wait (ECW), Green Climate Fund, Global Access Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), The Legal Empowerment Network (convened by NAMATI), Outright Action International and The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 

In 2021, Global Citizen, in partnership with Teneo, will bring the campaign to life with a series of pledging moments and global events to unite world leaders, artists, philanthropists and CEOs to achieve the campaign’s goals. Key moments, include:

• A global broadcast special, airing in May 2021, to overcome vaccine hesitancy and rally governments to equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines. With the goal of ending the coronavirus pandemic, and in collaboration with the European Commission, the World Health Organization, Italy as the presidency of the G20, the State of California and iHeartMedia, additional details about the May 2021 global broadcast special will be announced in the coming weeks.
• Global Citizen LIVE, a multi-hour global event featuring a blockbuster lineup of artists, with performances from all over the world, including: Lagos, New York City, Paris, Seoul and Sydney. Centered around achieving Global Citizen's Recovery Plan for the World, Global Citizen LIVE will take place on September 25, 2021. Global Citizen LIVE, is a Teneo and Global Citizen partnership, and is supported by Live Nation, SM Entertainment Group, the Sydney Opera House, Access Bank and more. More details including the lineup will be announced in the coming months.
• Global Citizen at the G20 Summit, a global moment jointly hosted by the Italian G20 Presidency and the European Commission. Global Citizen at the G20 Summit will engage world leaders, organizations and advocates in a discussion about progress made toward the Recovery Plan for the World with an emphasis on climate change ahead of COP26. The Summit will occur in Rome, Italy, on October 30 and 31, 2021. Additional details will be released in the coming months.

Starting today, people everywhere can take action by calling on world leaders to fulfill the promises they made and help the world recover better together as we come back from the pandemic. For more information visit, globalcitizen.org/2021 and follow @glblctzn on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. 

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