Presently in the era of globalization when we all are living under one roof promoting peace and security for everyone so that the maximum benefit can be assured for all according to their capabilities, at the same time we are also bound to share the misfortune of each other and thus from various environment crisis to various pandemic which we have witnessed earlier to present crisis of COVID-19. Whole world is facing the health crisis which seems to be endless until and unless a permanent solution can be found. It has not only triggered the lives of the common people but also has affected the world economy, civil society and the international relations of the various countries; it has abruptly brought various policy changes in the world-wide. Every country is trying to alter its policies in such a way that it not only help them to maintain their social, economic and political relations but at the same time can avoid the spread of the virus.
Apart from the health crisis and death toll, around the world the economic activity is at standstill and we all are not able to estimate the turndown it will bring to the world economy and at the same time what permanent consequences it will have on humanity. Though it is too early to have a humanitarian crisis assessment but this is for sure that the poor of the poorest will be the worst affected, various refugee camps around the world and the third world countries are among them. The worst effected economies will try to amend laws; investment, manufacturing as well as treaties in such a way that they survive this deadlock but this is for sure that it will bring the fundamental change in the structure of the international relations. Under the effect of covid-19 we can very well see that the international cooperation is shrinking instead of expanding, as every national government is trying to tackle the crisis individually. Even in the visa-free Schengen Area of Europe, (it’s an area of 26 European countries, those have abolished their internal borders, for the free and unrestricted movement of people, in harmony with common rules for controlling external border security) where regional alliance had made such progress over the past few decades, countries are closing their borders due to pandemic. Internal and external migrants and their families are being affected by the pandemic where as developed nations like United States are expanding their immigration and traveling policies to block the entry of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico, US and Canada announced plans to suspend nonessential travel between them, not only this but they also have suspended all the flights to Italy, China, and South Korea in early march because of high number of COVID 19 cases was reported from these countries.
The nations like Philippines, Laos, Bangladesh, Vietnam, which mainly rely on foreign remittances to compliment their earnings, in addition to this nations like Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan etc who have most of their incomes from tourism will also be worst affected. Various internal migrants labor within the countries have not only lost their jobs but are also unable to reach back to their families exhausting all their savings, they were forced because of the circumstances to walk back on their foot for their hometowns without food and water with their family after the lockdown was declared; many meeting the fateful end of death on their way back home. More than three-quarters of all nonagricultural workers in Myanmar, Indonesia and Laos do not have formal jobs and lack of access to formal social insurance mechanisms. In places like New York, the streets have become the domain of people of color, as low-income workers who cannot afford to stay at home deliver groceries to prosperous citizens who can afford it, Poor households are more likely to rely on earnings from informal work arrangements, which tend them to have limited savings and lack of employment protection, health insurance or paid leave, making them highly vulnerable who have to wait for the donations made by the rich, big business houses, NGOs, trust etc for their survival.
we are on the verge of the risk of great depression where world is facing situation more or less like the post-WWII era, and global financial crisis of 2008-09 is to be arisen with its misbalanced economies leading to risk of mass unemployment, thus to overcome this extraordinary situation collective response from the world is needed to get through, as it was necessary in the 1940s. Apart from international solidity issue and economy slowdown the COVID 19 has also a major issue on curbing of people’s fundamental and constitutional rights (right to move freely in any part of country, right to hold peaceful religious and public gathering etc) in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic democratic governments are bound to act within the restrictions of the law, as by informally declaring a state of emergency, and to ask for the public’s understanding for their action as an responsible citizens.
After overcoming all these shortfalls the world has to look forward further than the stabilization stage, we must act to create a strong recovery system that can support job creation and hence can raise the consumption, and revamp, but not just revive our development process. Along with making over medical infrastructure strong, government also needs to strengthen the social insurance mechanism to deal with mass unemployment, sustainable investment across the globe is important for the recovery that is strong enough for the world to protect from the great depression. Requirement for the investment in physical, human and natural capital across the world and, in particular, in the large emerging market countries, where the bulk of investment, particularly in infrastructure, will take place and in this phase of investment growth should be accompanied by the innovation and sustainable growth where regional, gender, class and caste discrimination can be reduced. International collaboration and support can greatly enhance the efforts of individual countries.
Tackling the pandemic will require strong global cooperation on repression and the medical response, including treatment and vaccines. Developmental programs require greater government spending when revenues are declining, government need to pump more money in order to run the deficits budget. Private sectors have already proved their leadership in the phase of the COVID-19 crisis they will also have to play a important role hand in hand with the government for the recovery of employment, consumption, investment and innovation to drive economies forward. Developmental banks have to play a vital role in helping to take programmes to right direction and in catalyzing private finance.
International solidarity and leadership have never been more important, than today it’s very important that the clash of ideas between US and WHO, Australia and china over the controversy of spread of virus should be resolved as soon as possible. All the developed nations and international organizations should come hand in hand to deal the situation instead of playing blame game. It is high time to reconnect with the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals along with the support and potential of the international financial institutions. Also coalitions of cities and local governments to accelerate aspiration, knowledge and actions; and for global community and civil society to exert their pressure for an adequate response that delivers a sustainable and inclusive future. Only with this combined effort and solidarity will we be able to overcome the crisis and build a better world – strong, inclusive, sustainable and resilient.
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