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Facing a global health crisis \\u201cunlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations,\\u201d Secretary-General Ant\\xf3nio Guterres today (19 Mar) called for a \\u201ccoordinated, decisive, and innovative policy action from the world\\u2019s leading economies.\\u201d

Guterres, speaking to reporters remotely from UN Headquarters, said, \\u201ca global recession \\u2013 perhaps of record dimensions \\u2013 is a near certainty,\\u201d and stressed that \\u201ccurrent responses at the country level will not address the global scale and complexity of the crisis.\\u201d

He welcomed the decision by G20 leaders to convene an emergency summit next week \\u201cto respond to the epic challenges\\u201d posed by the pandemic.

The Secretary-General said, \\u201cwe are in an unprecedented situation, and the normal rules no longer apply. We cannot resort to the usual tools in such unusual times. The creativity of the response must match the unique nature of the crisis \\u2013 and the magnitude of the response must match its scale.

He highlighted three critical areas for action; tackling the health emergency, focusing on the social impact and the economic response and recovery, and thirdly, a responsibility to \\u201crecover better.\\u201d

Guterres said, \\u201cif we let the virus spread like wildfire \\u2013 especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world -- it would kill millions of people\\u201d and urged nations to \\u201cimmediately move away from a situation where each country is undertaking its own health strategies to one that ensures, in full transparency, a coordinated global response.\\u201d

These strategies, he said, include \\u201cwage support, insurance, social protection, preventing bankruptcies and job loss\\u201d as well as \\u201cdesigning fiscal and monetary responses to ensure that the burden does not fall on those who can least afford it.\\u201d

Noting that \\u201cmore than 800 million children are out of school right now,\\u201d Guterres said, \\u201cwe must ensure that all children have access to food and equal access to learning \\u2013 bridging the digital divide and reducing the costs of connectivity.\\u201d

The Secretary-General concluded by saying \\u201cwe have a responsibility to \\u2018recover better\\u2019\\u201d and to \\u201censure that lessons are learned and that this crisis provides a watershed moment for health emergency preparedness and for investment in critical 21st century public services and the effective delivery of global public goods.\\u201d

Asked about how these initiatives would be funded, Guterres said, \\u201cwee see that whenever there is a problem in the banking system, trillions appear to solve the problems of the banks. And these trillions must appear now. The governments and central banks must work to guarantee that there is liquidity in the economy, but also that funds are mobilized to those who are most in need. And those who are most in need are people, on one hand, and the poorest countries on the other. \\u201c

He said, \\u201cit is absolutely essential to show solidarity in the way we respond to the crisis.\\u201d