Event Summary
Munich Security Conference hosts virtual Roundtable on Health Security
Together with the Wellcome Trust, the Munich Security Conference brought together experts for a virtual, intimate discussion on the challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Among the participants was Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute.
On 7 April, the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, hosted a virtual Health Security Roundtable titled "Together we are less alone – Germany, Europe and COVID-19." Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute, discussed perspectives for crisis management with high-ranking representatives from the German government, NGOs and research institutions as well as leading pharmaceutical and digital companies such as Merck, Johnson & Johnson and Palantir. In an intimate atmosphere, under Chatham House Rule, the discussion included, among other topics, the role Germany and the European Union can play in further containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger said before the event: "It is vital for Europe to cooperate in the COVID-19 crisis, both in the search for a vaccine and in the political sphere. Right now, the EU must live up to its claim of being a 'Europe that protects.' For this to be true, the EU needs to be part of the crisis resolution process, and Germany should do everything possible to support Brussels in this regard."
Right now, the EU must live up to its claim of being a 'Europe that protects.'Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference
The roundtable discussion focused in particular on how to improve international cooperation in the development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine and other drugs. There was agreement among the participants that information from studies should be shared quickly and in a spirit of trust. At the same time, the capacities for the mass production of vaccines had to be established now. Besides, the effective distribution of vaccines had to be ensured. One participant warned that without coordination on the international level, there would be competition for vaccines, as is currently the case with masks and other medical products. In the discussion it was emphasized that besides maintaining the free movement of goods, an agreement on the future distribution of vaccines was necessary. This should be done based on identifying at-risk groups – such as medical staff – rather than countries.
However, participants also warned against placing too much hope in vaccines for now, as they were unlikely to be available before the beginning of next year. Instead, the public health care systems were considered crucial for containing the pandemic and should receive support.
We need the best possible and transparent coordination. The more high-quality information we trustfully share worldwide, the faster medication can be approved. This crisis must lead to thinking and acting more globally.Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute
The Roundtable was the first in a series of MSC events on the COVID-19 pandemic and its geopolitical implications. Further events will address, among other things, the implications for food security and development cooperation, multilateralism and the future of the EU, Brexit, terrorism and other aspects. Further details will be announced shortly. Questions regarding these and other events can be sent to office@securityconference.de via email.
The MSC has acknowledged early on that local health issues have the potential to evolve into full-fledged international security crises. Aware of the need for international action, the MSC partnered with the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Chatham House, and Merck, to promote the discussion and collaboration between health officials, NGO leaders, security strategists, the private sector, and decision-makers. Within its Human Security Series, the MSC has been organizing events and conferences on health-related challenges since 2016. Moreover, health security has become an integral part of the MSC's annual conference in Munich as well as its Core Group Meetings. Additionally, a chapter in the annual Munich Security Report regularly focuses on health security issues.
