The Diplomat
Spain yesterday proposed the creation of a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) trust fund for middle-income economies, where inequality and pockets of poverty have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis.
He did so at an informal meeting of EU development ministers, where Spain supported European cooperation with middle-income countries and human development in the post-COVID-19 scenario. In this context, it also supported the incorporation of these nations in the debt moratorium and debt relief initiatives, with special attention to Latin America, one of the regions most affected by the pandemic.
At the meeting, in which she participated by videoconference, the State Secretary for International Cooperation, Ángeles Moreno Bau, representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya, stressed that these countries “are key allies for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, multilateralism and the Paris Agreement”, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In terms of human development, the State Secretary insisted on the “urgency” of promoting the fight against hunger and malnutrition, which have suffered significant setbacks as a result of the pandemic, and of addressing key vectors such as health and education.
The meeting placed particular emphasis on the need to support the education sector, a priority area for the new EU funding instrument.
Finally, Moreno Bau stressed the “crucial role” played by agri-food systems in the conservation of biodiversity, soils and water, and in the fight against climate change and rural poverty. In this regard, he announced Spain’s candidacy to chair the United Nations Committee on Food Security for 2022-2023.
