The COVID-19 crisis “proves the need for an international rules-based order,” the EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said in an interview with EURACTIV.

“This virus knows no borders,” Commissioner Urpilainen said by phone. “We really need to work together to prevent these crises but also to solve them because, otherwise, none of us is safe,” she added. 

The former minister for finance in Finland, Urpilainen has previously worked at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund Development Committee. Her portfolio name is International Partnerships but she is mainly responsible for the EU’s cooperation and development policy.

What this new title means is that “we don’t want to see our partner countries through this donor-recipient relationship but rather as equal partners,” Urpilainen explained, adding that “the DNA” of the portfolio remains working towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.

However, the EU’s cooperation and development policy has also been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. In April, the Commission announced a €20 billion support package to help partner countries deal with the crisis. 

“We have three different priorities where we are reallocating funding. Of course, the first one is the humanitarian response. The second one is strengthening health, water and sanitation systems; and our third priority is to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of the crisis,” the Commissioner said. 

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