Citizen action on Covid-19: Standing together in the face of the global pandemic

Joint Civil Society Statement

The world faces an unprecedented moment of crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic is pushing humanity’s resilience to the limit and has vast impacts on the wider social, economic and environmental fabric of our world.

The pandemic especially affects older people, people with disabilities, and those with underlying health conditions, and highlights the importance of a whole-of-society approach to deliver well-resourced health systems that respond to all ages. This is an urgent healthcare emergency that  shines a glaring light on the underlying fragility and inequalities of our societies and the critical need for stronger health systems, universal provision of the right to health and social protection for all, as well as long-term sustainable development, as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals.

We are resolved that civil society organisations and volunteers have a critical role to play in supporting community action and ensuring that those who are most often marginalised are not left behind through this challenging time. Already huge numbers of volunteers are stepping up in many parts of the world to ensure vital food, medical supplies and basic provisions can reach those who are affected.

We will identify community responses in various countries and share the stories of those community champions who are at the frontline of this emergency response for cross learning and inspiration but we expect world leaders to ensure the following key measures are addressed to build a fairer future: