Indonesia, the current president of the Group of 20 (G20), has started talks with the group’s members to establish standardized health protocols for international travel as countries around the world gradually lift their border restrictions.

The issue was at the center of discussions among representatives of G20 members in the first Health Working Group (HWG) meeting, which was held in Yogyakarta in a hybrid format, on Monday.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasized the need for countries to have common protocols for cross-border travel, adding that disconnected health protocols between countries have “increased costs, added complexity and caused inconvenience.”

“The pandemic has taught us how interconnected and interdependent we are,” said Budi in Yogyakarta on Monday.

“We, therefore, need to work together to mutually recognize digital health information, such as testing requirements and results, vaccination certificates and mutual recognition of digital applications.”

Budi added that Indonesia’s proposal would still adhere to the COVID-19 policies of respective G20 countries, including which vaccines, tests or testing authorities they would recognize to allow international travelers to come to their countries, insisting that Indonesia “respects the sovereignty of all nations.”

He also expressed the hope that if G20 members agreed common standards, the initiative could be expanded to other countries.

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