President Kenyatta spoke Thursday evening during a virtual high level meeting on development financing in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic convened by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Jamaican counterpart Andrew Holness and the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterress.

The Kenyan President told the meeting attended by a cross-section of world leaders including several Heads of State that the current health crisis will constrict global growth this year leading to financial market volatility and increased debt risk especially in developing countries.

To address the socioeconomic challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, President Kenyatta said the global community needs to focus on the implementation of the United Nations Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Specifically, the Kenyan Head of State advised world leaders to concentrate on expansion of global liquidity, addressing debt vulnerability especially for developing nations and enhancement of external financing to ensure inclusive growth and continued job creation.

Speaking on behalf of the African Union, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Covid-19 is a real threat to collective ability of the global community to achieve SDGs especially for developing countries.