UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged the world’s largest economies to spearhead a global Covid-19 vaccination plan, expand debt relief to developing countries battered by the pandemic, and step up funding for climate action. “To restore trust in multilateralism, we need to deliver on vaccines, economic recovery and climate finance”, he said in a video message to G20 finance ministers meeting in Venice, Italy. “With your leadership and political will, we can do it.” The secretary general warned of the threat posed by the “global vaccine gap” as the coronavirus mutates. “Pledges of doses and funds are welcome – but they are not enough”, he said. “We need at least eleven billion doses to vaccinate 70 percent of the world and end this pandemic.” The UN chief repeated his call for a Global Vaccine Plan that would double production and ensure equitable distribution of doses through the COVAX solidarity mechanism. Finance Ministers and Central Bank chiefs were also urged to support a new $50 billion investment roadmap, announced last month and to be led by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), aimed at ending the pandemic and driving a fast recovery. As many developing countries are “teetering on the verge of debt default”, the secretary general encouraged the G20 to channel unused Special Drawing Rights, a type of foreign reserve asset developed by the IMF, to the Fund’s new resilience and sustainability plan for these nations. “Special Drawing Rights also need to be considered as additional funding, not deducted from Official Development Assistance,” he added. With the world still struggling to keep global temperature rise to the 1.5 degree target under the Paris Agreement, the UN chief stressed the need for action to reduce emissions as the latest UN climate change conference, known as COP26, draws closer.