“This year’s G20 summit still offers an opening: an opportunity to build new bridges to overcome contradictions and find new consensus”
and the biosphere, but also our econo- mies and societies are highly connected. False contradictions are used and pro- moted by critical actors in the political and industrial domains to protect and develop their business models. Nation- alistic movements promise their people a bigger share of the ‘cake’ by neglecting the need to cooperate in a meaning- ful way at the global level. Ironically, in doing so, they cause the entire ‘cake’ to shrink and in the long run their people and the global community will lose in absolute terms. Let’s compare the situation for health with international flight control: No country leaves the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as its benefits are well recognized. All states found effective solutions to align inter- national aspects of air travel with their national authorities and sovereignty. They all acknowledge the necessity for the safety of their own citizens and prosperity. This applies in a similar way to health issues and climate change. As we all know well enough – they are international in nature, to the same degree as air travel. Prosperity and multilateralism are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they reinforce each other. If we want inter- national cooperation to be successful – and that means securing a healthy life for current and future generations – we need to clearly refute these false contra- dictions and show that transparent and fair international cooperation is in the best interest of all countries and their populations.
We cannot waste time and effort on international gatherings such as G20 if they are only used to reiterate and cor- roborate the opposing viewpoints at both sides of the river. What is missing are bridges – compromises or even the infamous ‘deals’. This is not only about emphasizing the interconnectedness of our world, which should naturally call for stronger multilateral action. It is also about recognizing that these seem- ingly overwhelming challenges, such as climate change, present significant opportunities if we move together. Take pandemic preparedness, for example: a pandemic only ends when it ends everywhere. Addressing it col- lectively benefits us all. In funding and implementing scientific knowledge and resilient health systems, we protect lives and spark innovation that creates new technologies, industries, and jobs. To overcome false contradictions people must be involved and informed from the beginning, to see for them- selves that national prosperity depends on international cooperation, inter- national solidarity can ultimately strengthen national interests, and climate protection as well as health
investments are key drivers of long- term prosperity. The question remains: What can the G20 achieve and where are its limita- tions? The G20 summit, in contrast to other international fora, does not offer participation mechanisms, a stand- ing secretariat or a rules-based system. What matters is not only who sits at the table, but also who has never been invited to participate. The G20 will always remain an exclusive format. Democratic participation needs to take place through other channels. Yet even within these boundaries, this year’s G20 summit still offers an opening: an opportunity to build new bridges to overcome contradictions and find new consensus to push global health efforts forward. We need to con- sider the foundations the G20 can lay, and how we carry this forward into sustainable, long-term international cooperation. Importantly, this work does not end with the G20 summit. For global health, the upcoming WHS Regional Meet- ing 2026 in Kenya under the theme 'Reimagining Africa’s Health Sys- tems: Innovation, Integration, and Interdependence', offers an important opportunity to put these ideas into action. The Nairobi meeting also stands as a reminder that global health trans- formation must emerge from inclusive dialogue and genuine partnership with those on the frontlines of change.
// AXEL RADLACH PRIES Axel Radlach Pries became president of the World Health Summit in 2021. He was the dean of Charité from 2015 to 2022, having been head of the Charité Institute for Physiology from 2001. He has chaired the Council for Basic Cardiovascular Science and the Congress Programme Committee basic section in the European Society of Cardiology, was president of the Biomedical Alliance in Europe and CEO of the Berlin Institute of Health. He has received the Malpighi Award, the Poiseuille Gold Medal and the Silver Medal of the European Society of Cardiology.
The support by Marinus Fislage and Marie Wolf in preparing the article is gratefully acknowledged.
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