LISBON, PORTUGAL AND MADRID, SPAIN, (JUNE 19, 2020) – UNITE, the global parliamentarians network to end infectious diseases, and Club de Madrid (CdM), the largest assembly of political leaders globally, have announced a new partnership in the run-up to the virtual meeting on “Inclusive Governance to Leave No One Behind during and after the COVID‐19 Pandemic” and ahead of UNITE’s Global Summit 2020.
Through this strategic partnership, UNITE and CdM will be able to join forces to strengthen national, regional and multilateral and global responses, which will aim to bring attention to social inclusion as critical element for the effectiveness of a coordinated strategy to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
The importance of social inclusion through leadership initiatives, multifaceted research, advocacy, and practice is more relevant today than ever. The value of socially inclusive policy and programming has been demonstrated by previous efforts undertaken by national governments, regional and multilateral governance institutions; and is abundantly evident in the principles of inclusion embedded throughout the Agenda 2030: Sustainable Development Goals.
Given their important vantage points as former Executive leaders and current Parliamentarians, Club de Madrid and UNITE have partnered to explore together the possibilities for further policy initiatives to ensure socially inclusive for the most vulnerable populations during and after the pandemic.
Focusing on impacting on the multilateral response to the pandemic, UNITE and WLA-CdM will discuss how to unite policy and science to ensure global cooperation for an inclusive response to the pandemic; how to promote an inclusive response to the pandemic from the ground up; as well as discuss how policy initiatives (debt relief, public health financing) can maximize inclusion of marginalized populations potentially outside pandemic response coverage
“UNITE is very excited to partner with Club de Madrid,” said UNITE’s Founder and President Ricardo Baptista Leite, MD, MP. “Parliamentarians and political leaders should share best practices. If we want to achieve inclusive SDGs, we need to look into the future and protect those who are most vulnerable. Together with CdM, we hope to find potential champions who could find global agreement and the middle ground of understanding.”
“An alliance with parliamentarians to discuss current challenges and opportunities for change in public policy is a natural for the CdM. Forging such an alliance with a network as broad and diverse as UNITE, in times as challenging as the ones COVID 19 has wrought upon us, can activate meaningful and fruitful synergies and effectively contribute to the bold and transformative policymaking so urgently needed right now,” added María Elena Agüero, Secretary General of CdM.”
Both UNITE and CdM have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, confirming their commitment to working together on organizing virtual meetings as well as exploring alternative public engagement activities with the media, academia, experts, leaders and citizens.
ABOUT UNITE
UNITE is an independent, non-profit, global network of 123 members of parliament from 57 countries. UNITE is committed to ensuring that no life is limited by infectious disease through unified political advocacy. UNITE’s global network of parliamentarians is divided into 10 Regional Chapters, each chaired by a parliamentarian leading political impact in that region.
For more information please visit www.unitenetwork.org
ABOUT CLUB DE MADRID
Club de Madrid is the largest worldwide assembly of political leaders working to strengthen democratic values, good governance and the well-being of citizens across the globe. As a non-profit, non-partisan, international organisation, its network is composed of more than 100 democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers from over 70 countries, who offer their voice and agency on a pro bono basis, to today’s political, civil society leaders and policymakers. CdM responds to a growing demand for trusted advice in addressing the challenges involved in achieving democracy that delivers, building bridges, bringing down silos and promoting dialogue for the design of better policies for all.
For more information please visit https://clubmadrid.org/
