G20
Forum of 19 major economies plus the European Union and African Union.
A G20 foreign ministers' meeting on Ebola in New York on 23 September 2026 lifted pledges for DR Congo's outbreak to about $3bn, though no figure exists for money actually paid out.
Last refreshed: 4 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Brazil's president target the G20 in a pandemic treaty deadline letter?
Timeline for G20
Lifted Ebola pledges to US$2.997bn in New York
Pandemics and Biosecurity: G20 talks take Ebola pledges to US$3bnPABS talks reopen under a deadline
Pandemics and BiosecurityBackground
The G20 is the forum of the world's major economies: 19 countries plus the European Union and, since 2023, the African Union, together accounting for about 85% of global output. It was formed in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis. It works through an annual leaders' summit hosted by a rotating presidency, with finance and sherpa tracks running through the year. It has no permanent secretariat, and its declarations carry political rather than legal weight.
Health became a regular G20 workstream after COVID-19 exposed gaps in vaccine access and pandemic financing. That makes the forum a target for anyone pushing global health deals. On 15 June 2026 Brazil's President Lula and WHO's Tedros addressed an open letter to the G20, the G7 and BRICS, calling 17 July a Deadline for the WHO Pandemic Agreement's pathogen-sharing annex. The Deadline passed without agreement.
In an outbreak the G20's main lever is money convened from its members, not rules. Its September 2026 Ebola ministerial is the clearest example so far of that role.
G20 ministers lifted the Ebola pledges
The United States convened G20 foreign ministers in New York on 23 September 2026 for a meeting on DR Congo's Bundibugyo Ebola epidemic. About $700m was announced around the meeting, taking pledges since the outbreak's declaration to about $3bn, by Africa CDC's count. The host was the largest donor at $887m, ahead of the European Commission at $568m.
For the G20 the meeting produced promises, not a ledger. Africa CDC published no figure for money disbursed and said it would strengthen its tracking of pledges through to payment. Its tally also does not separate loans from grants, so the headline sum measures the forum's intent rather than beds, tests or health workers' wages.