Streaming virtually from the media room of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has so far infected 200 million people, killing more than 4 million in just 20 months. Experts project US $11 trillion in damages for the global economy, including countless business closures, lost jobs, devastated livelihoods, and overburdened government budgets. There are also serious concerns that COVID variants might circumvent current vaccinations and that new virus outbreaks could be even more devastating.

Following HIV, SARS, Ebola, Bird Flu, and MERS, COVID-19 is the latest pandemic that results directly from humans tampering with wildlife, invading its habitat, and unleashing a devastating disease. Fortunately, such outbreaks are preventable. Previous international health campaigns prove that humanity is capable of preventing widespread infectious diseases and avoiding the enormous costs of a global outbreak. If the global community takes decisive action NOW, the next looming pandemic can be averted.

This Roundtable is hosted by EndPandemics and United for Regeneration, which was founded in partnership with the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promoting Integral Human Development and its COVID-19 Commission.

Global experts and change leaders from government and multilateral institutions, business, civil society and the media will gather virtually and in-person in the media room of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development to provide supportive advice to global leaders including the G20 Heads of State who will meet in Rome in October. The Roundtable will discuss specific Action Proposals, which include a Roadmap to significantly reduce the risk of future pandemics, while helping to regenerate natural habitats and local communities, protect biodiversity, and reduce global heating.

This Roundtable will be broadcast globally by The Independent - for broad visibility, public awareness building and inputs - as part of its Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade initiative, which is working with the EndPandemics campaign to prevent zoonotic outbreaks by addressing their root causes.

The EndPandemics campaign has already led to innovative policy approaches, legal reform and concrete enforcement, including widespread habitat protection, wildlife market closures and illegal trade interruption in ASEAN countries. Following this important event, additional engagement gatherings, policy initiatives and media campaigns will assist governments and multilateral institutions in taking effective action.

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