The United Nations chief urged the world to mark the “heart-wrenching milestone” of two million deaths from COVID-19 virus on Friday by performing with far larger solidarity to make sure vaccines can be found and inexpensive in all international locations not simply wealthy nations.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mentioned in a video message that governments have a duty to guard their individuals, “but `vaccinationalism’ is self-defeating and will delay a global recovery.”
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“Science is succeeding — but solidarity is failing,” he warned. “Vaccines are reaching high income countries quickly, while the world’s poorest have none at all.”
Guterres had urged leaders of the Group of 20 largest economics in March, initially of the COVID-19 pandemic, to undertake a “wartime” plan to deal with the coronavirus together with a stimulus bundle “in the trillions of dollars” for companies, staff and households in growing international locations. He additionally urged the leaders to determine “a task force to have a combined effort to defeat the virus,” however the G20 took no motion.
“Sadly, the deadly impact of the pandemic has been made worse by the absence of a global coordinated effort,” he mentioned on Friday.
Guterres mentioned the world’s main economies have a particular duty to help the World Health Organization’s COVAX program to purchase and ship coronavirus vaccines for the world’s poorest individuals.
He additionally urged wealthy nations to share extra doses of vaccines, noting that “some countries are pursuing side deals, even procuring beyond need.”
“This would help vaccinate all health care workers around the world on an urgent basis and protect health systems from collapse,” the secretary-general mentioned.
“Others on the frontline, including humanitarian workers and high-risk populations, must be prioritized,” he pressured.
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Guterres additionally known as on producers to “step up their commitment to work with the COVAX facility and countries around the world to ensure enough supply and fair distribution.”
New York has supplied vaccinations to individuals over the age of 65 and Guterres, 71, is scheduled to be vaccinated subsequent week, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric mentioned, including that the UN will distribute images and video to assist promote the worldwide vaccination marketing campaign.
Volkan Bozkir, the 70-year-old president of the 193-member UN General Assembly, advised reporters he will likely be vaccinated on February 2.
Bozkir advised a information convention he has written to New York authorities asking that each one UN employees, numbering within the 1000’s, be thought-about “essential workers” to allow them to be vaccinated.
But Dujarric mentioned Secretary-General Guterres has not requested “any blanket `go to the front of the line’ card for the UN staff as a whole.”
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Last Update: Saturday, 16 January 2021 KSA 06:22 – GMT 03:22
