G7 leaders will commit to using all their resources to prevent a global pandemic from ever happening again when they meet in Cornwall today (Saturday).

The world’s leading democracies are expected to agree the ‘Carbis Bay Declaration’, an historic statement setting out a series of concrete commitments to prevent any repeat of the human and economic devastation wreaked by coronavirus.

Leaders will be joined in their discussions on global health at the G7 Summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall today by their counterparts from South Korea, South Africa, Australia and India, and the Secretary General of the UN alongside other leaders of international organisations – recognising the need to tackle the roots of the coronavirus pandemic on a truly global level.

They will receive a presentation by Sir Patrick Vallance and Melinda French Gates on the work of the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership, a group of international experts drawn from across industry, government and scientific institutions established by the UK earlier this year to advise the G7 on how to prevent, detect and respond to future pandemics.

Today the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership will publish an independent report, the ‘100 Days Mission to Respond to Future Pandemic Threats’, which contains actionable recommendations on how governments and others can quickly respond to any future outbreaks. The first 100 days after the identification of an epidemic threat are crucial to changing its course and, ideally, preventing it from becoming a pandemic.

The Carbis Bay declaration will incorporate the recommendations of this report and set out the other steps G7 countries will take to prevent a future pandemic. These include slashing the time taken to develop and licence vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for any future disease to under 100 days, a commitment to reinforce global surveillance networks and genomic sequencing capacity and support for reforming and strengthening the World Health Organization.

75% of new human diseases originate in animals and these diseases are emerging at an increasing rate. Controlling zoonotic diseases is a key element of the PM’s 5 Point Plan for preventing future pandemics set out at the UN last year – the first plan articulated by a G7 leader on pandemic preparedness. To stop new animal-borne diseases before they put people at risk, the UK will establish a UK Animal Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre at The Pirbright Institute in Surrey.

The Centre will draw on Pirbright’s world leading expertise to accelerate the delivery of vaccines for livestock diseases. These diseases pose a risk to people if they mutate to become transmissible to humans and can devastate agriculture in the UK and internationally. The centre will rapidly assess promising new technologies in the field, and develop and test novel vaccines for emerging diseases.

The UK has led the fight against Covid-19 through our support for the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and has a long history of leadership in vaccine research. Smallpox and rinderpest – the first two diseases in history to be totally wiped out – were eradicated using vaccines developed by British scientists.

The UK has contributed £10 million of funding for centre, which will establish the UK as world leader in the rapidly growing field of novel livestock vaccine development capability. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide £14.5m to establish the centre, building on its current investments in vaccines for livestock and zoonotic diseases at The Pirbright Institute.

This follows the Prime Minister’s announcement last month that the UK had launched plans for a global ‘pandemic radar’ to identify emerging COVID-19 variants and track new diseases around the world. Today he will ask for G7 support for the Global Pandemic Radar, which will protect domestic vaccine programmes against new vaccine-resistant variants by identifying them early and before they are able to spread.

The G7 is uniquely well-placed to lead global efforts in pandemic prevention – the group is home to two-thirds of the world’s pharmaceutical market and the four coronavirus vaccines licenced for use in the UK were all developed in G7 nations (the UK, US and Germany).

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

In the last year the world has developed several effective coronavirus vaccines, licenced and manufactured them at pace and is now getting them into the arms of the people who need them.

But to truly defeat coronavirus and recover we need to prevent a pandemic like this from ever happening again. That means learning lessons from the last 18 months and doing it differently next time around.

I am proud that for the first time today the world’s leading democracies have come together to make sure that never again will we be caught unawares.

The Carbis Bay declaration will be agreed by leaders today and published tomorrow alongside the G7 Summit Communique.

It builds on the steps taken by others to strengthen pandemic preparedness this year, including the recent recommendations of the Independent Panel for Preparedness and Response.

The UK is also supporting work in the World Health Organization on a Pandemic Treaty to increase global efforts to prevent future pandemics.

Dr Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization said:

We welcome the Carbis Bay Health Declaration, particularly as the world begins to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. Together we need to build on the significant scientific and collaborative response to the COVID-19 pandemic and find common solutions to address many of the gaps identified.

To this end WHO welcomes and will take forward the UK’s proposal for a Global Pandemic Radar. As we discussed, the world needs a stronger global surveillance system to detect new epidemic and pandemic risks.

Professor Bryan Charleston, Director and CEO of Pirbright said:

There is a global unmet need to accelerate the development of vaccines from the laboratory to provide effective products for livestock keepers to control disease in their animals. Preventing disease by vaccination will help secure food supplies and so improve human health and welfare.

The importance of this centre has been recognised by UKRI-Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who have worked together to develop a plan to establish this new facility that will also play a key role in controlling zoonotic diseases.

Rodger Voorhies, President, Global Growth & Opportunity at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said:

We see this partnership as an exciting opportunity to build on British scientific excellence to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers in poor and marginalised communities around the globe, while protecting people everywhere from the increasing risk posed by zoonotic diseases.

Professor Melanie Welham, Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, a co-funder of the UK Animal Vaccine and Innovation Centre project said:

In the last year, more than ever, we have recognised the global importance of vaccine research and how the UK plays a leading role. Now, we can take the opportunity of joining UK expertise with an international effort in the field of veterinary vaccines. The new facility – which BBSRC will co-fund – at the world-renowned Pirbright Institute, will be a shield and a sword against animal diseases that can devastate agriculture and infect human populations.

Today, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss MP is congratulating UK exporters, business leaders and DIT staff who have been recognised with honours for their exceptional and outstanding service to international trade, investment, and exporting. The Birthday Honours List also recognises the work and dedication undertaken by those who worked during the pandemic to keep the country safe.

Those honoured this time around represent a diverse range of businesses, from retail industry through to the creative industry and government support to sourcing medical equipment and negotiating trade agreements.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said:

I am delighted to congratulate our exporters for being acknowledged for their work in championing trade across the globe in this Birthday Honours List.

I look forward to continuing to celebrate investors in the UK and those who export overseas, showcasing UK goods all around the world. It is a testament to the innovativeness and creativity of our UK businesses.

Exporters and business leaders in the 2021 Birthday Honours list include:

• Andrew Jennings; Global Retail Advisor. (OBE)
• John Forkin; Managing Director- Marketing Derby. (MBE)
• Priya Guha; Venture Partner- Merian Ventures. (MBE)
• Paul Grover; Chair- Liverpool China Partnership. (MBE)
• Georgina Delaney; Founder- The Great Outdoor Gym Company. (MBE)
• Steven Mifsud, Director- Direct Access Consultancy Limited. (MBE)

Staff from the Department for International Trade (DIT) in the 2021 Birthday Honours list include:

• Graham Zebedee; Continuity Negotiations and Development Director. (CMG)
• Jackie Hart; HR Deputy Director HR Business Partners. (OBE)
• Thomas Duke; Deputy HM Trade Commissioner, British Embassy Beijing. (OBE)
• Simon Hall; Lately Deputy Director, Transition Planning. (OBE)
• Richard Cowin; Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences, British Embassy Beijing. (MBE)
• Tiphaine Shah; Joint head of COVID-19 Medical Supplies Team. (MBE)
• Veronica Blackwood; Executive Assistant and Admin Team Support. (BEM)

Recognised Recipients

Exporters recognised in this list include Steven Mifsud. Being profoundly deaf since birth, Steven has helped many organisations in the UK to become more accessible for disabled people by providing access audits and disability consultancy. Steven helps service providers make significant but inexpensive changes to improve their accessibility. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he utilised his organisation’s international contacts to source vital personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies and deliver them to local authorities, care homes and disability charities.

Steven Mifsud, Director- Direct Access Consultancy Limited, said:

It is an absolute honour to be recognised for exporting British expertise in accessibility. Other countries often look to the UK with interest to understand how disabled people can be engaged and what is best practice in designing of buildings for access.

Britain is truly Great, and we have expertise that the world can benefit from. I was born profoundly deaf so have faced many barriers throughout my life, this award means so much in terms of being able to demonstrate I can be successful in exporting and be recognised.

I am hopeful that this MBE gives credence to the importance of international trade. Many disabled people do not get the opportunities they deserve, many give up at the earlier hurdles – I hope that this will not only encourage general businesses to export but also show disabled people that with hard work and taking the correct advice, the possibilities are there. Receiving this award from Her Majesty the Queen is truly the greatest honour of my life.

Priya Guha is awarded an MBE for her services to International Trade and Women-led Innovation. Priya is a former Diplomat to a Venture Partner at Merian Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in women-led innovation. Priya is an advocate, working to close the gender pay gap connecting her Silicon Valley and UK technology networks with the world. Through her leadership, Merian Ventures is one of the largest funds ($100 million) investing solely in women, investing at the earliest stages, and now has a portfolio of companies spanning a broad range of emerging technology. Priya was named 2019 Top 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech and 2019 Top 5 Asian Investors in UK Tech.

Priya Guha, Venture Partner- Merian Ventures, said:

I was so thrilled to hear I’d received an MBE for my work supporting international trade and women in innovation. This unexpected recognition only reinforces my resolve to do what I can to help grow the UK economy through global trade in a way that realises the business and societal benefits of inclusive innovation.

Georgina Alice Delaney is awarded an MBE for her services to international trade. Georgina founded The Great Outdoor Gym Company Ltd (TGO) in 2007, having spent her career working within the sports industry. With a turnover of £2.4m, 30% of which is from exports, she has driven TGO to become the world’s leading specialist in outdoor gyms, installing over 1,500 across the world in countries including India, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and across Europe. TGO has worked with some of the greatest names in the world; adidas, United Nations, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and COP22.

Georgina Alice Delaney, founder- The Great Outdoor Gym Company, said:

This is an incredible honour and I feel very proud to have received this recognition. I would like to thank the Department for International Trade. I am hugely committed to addressing both health and environmental issues and I am lucky to work with an enthusiastic team who share these values. I hope to inspire others to build more sustainable businesses, creating a healthy future for us all.

Andrew Jennings is awarded an OBE for services to international trade, fashion and retail. Andrew is a well-respected British senior retail executive, global ambassador. He has worked in the international retail industry for 50 years at many high-end department stores in many countries, including Harrods, House of Fraser, Saks 5th Avenue, Karstadt and Holt Renfrew. He is passionate about promoting British brands and goods abroad, as well as promoting export opportunities available to new and exciting British designers and retailers abroad.

Andrew Jennings, Global Retail Advisor, said:

I am thrilled and honoured with this high-level recognition after a successful and enjoyable global retail career that has been a life’s work of pride and passion. This is the ‘cherry on the top of the cake’ and is hugely appreciated.

Environment Agency chair Emma Howard Boyd has paid tribute to the amazing work of the Agency’s staff as she was one of four named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list today (Friday 11 June).

Emma has been awarded a CBE for service to the environment. For the past five years she has led the Environment Agency’s work to create a better place, helping it deliver major successes in reducing flood risk, protecting nature and enhancing the nation’s resilience to climate change.

Her outstanding commitment and leadership in times of crisis was also recognised; turning out in all weathers and at all times to visit and support communities hit by flooding and empathetically supporting staff and services during major incidents and challenging times. As the UK Commissioner to the Global Commission on Adaptation from 2018 to early 2021, and now as one of the global ambassadors to the Race to Zero and the Race to Resilience, she has also been a key player in the UK and international effort to tackle the climate emergency.

She is joined on this year’s list by Anita Seaton, part of the EA’s incident response and resilience team, who is awarded an MBE for services to the environment and vulnerable communities.

Colin Liptrot, who works on mechanical electrical instrumentation control and automation in the EA, also receives an MBE for services to diversity and inclusion.

Flood and coastal risk management adviser Dr Karen Parker receives a BEM for services to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

I am delighted to accept this honour on behalf of all the amazing people at the Environment Agency alongside Anita, Colin and Karen.

Our work to help people prepare for climate shocks, to enhance nature, to reduce emissions to net zero and to improve water quality has never been more important. It seems the world is waking up to this, but we all need to bring our creativity, enthusiasm and power to bear if it is not going to be too little, too late.

This decade is meant to be the climate decade and we’re already a year and a half into it, so we need to accelerate action now.

The full list of recipients of Queen’s Birthday Honours is available on GOV.UK.