PM Modi moots 'One Earth, One Health' mantra at G7 summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually took part in an outreach session of the G7 summit and articulated the “One Earth, One Health” mantra for global cooperation to fight the Covid-19 pandemic as well as future pandemics.

He sought G7's support for the proposal moved by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organisation for temporarily waiving the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection on Covid-19 vaccines and drugs. He called for global unity, leadership and solidarity and emphasised the special responsibility of democratic and transparent societies to prevent future pandemics.

Modi virtually joined the G7 leaders, who assembled at Cornwall in South West England for a summit of the bloc. India, however, is not a member of the G7, which comprises Japan, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, with the European Union being a ‘non-enumerated’ member of the bloc. The Prime Minister was however invited by his counterpart in the UK, Boris Johnson, to attend the outreach session held on the sideline of the summit.

A source in New Delhi said that Modi’s mantra for “One Earth, One Health” received support from the other G7 leaders, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel specifically referring to it during her speech.

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Modi highlighted India's ‘whole of society’ approach to fight the pandemic, synergising efforts of all levels of government, industry and civil society. He referred to India’s successful use of open-source digital tools for contact tracing and vaccine management and conveyed India's willingness to share its experience and expertise. He also expressed India's commitment to support collective endeavours to improve global health governance, sources said.

French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on ensuring uninterrupted supply of raw materials to help augment production of Covid-19 vaccines in India. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison extended support of his government to the proposal mooted by India and South Africa at the WTO for temporary patent waiver for the Covid-19 vaccines and drugs. Morrison also attended the G7 outreach session as a “special invitee”.

Modi was expected to speak on the themes of “Building Back Stronger”, “Building Back Together” and “Building Back Greener” during the outreach sessions of the G7 summits on Saturday and Sunday.

In view of the second Covid-19 wave in India, the Prime Minister last month dropped his plan to travel to the UK to attend the summit.

Atal Behari Vajpayee was the first Indian Prime Minister to participate in the Outreach Session of the G7 Summit in 2003. India was invited to the annual G7 Summit Outreach Sessions and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh participated the conclaves from 2005 to 2009. Modi attended the G7 ‘Biarritz Summit’ hosted by Macron in 2019 as “a Goodwill Partner”.