(Fighting New Coronary Pneumonia) Secretary-General of the United Nations: The fairness of the new crown vaccine is the "biggest moral test" facing the international community
China News Agency, United Nations, February 17-UN Secretary-General Guterres stated on the 17th that vaccine fairness is the biggest moral test before the international community, and the current COVID-19 vaccination work is obviously unequal and unfair.
On the same day, the Security Council held a ministerial-level public meeting on the new crown vaccine issue online.
In addition to the members of the Security Council, Guterres, UNICEF Executive Director Faure, Secretary-General Chapagan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Berkeley, CEO of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, also made video presentations. Speak at the meeting.
Guterres said that 75% of all the new crown vaccines that have been vaccinated are concentrated in 10 countries; at the same time, more than 130 countries have not yet received any doses of vaccines, and people affected by conflicts and turmoil face a prominent "risk of being left behind." .
The "New Coronary Pneumonia Vaccine Implementation Plan" (COVAX) jointly established by the international community is currently the only global tool for procurement and transportation of vaccines for low- and middle-income countries.
He said that if the virus continues to spread and mutate in poor areas, it is likely to aggravate its infectiousness and lethality, threaten the effectiveness of existing vaccines and treatments, and eventually make a comeback in rich areas.
Therefore, it is not only necessary to provide sufficient financial support for COVAX, but also to launch a larger, comprehensive and fully coordinated effort on a global scale.
Guterres said that the world urgently needs a global immunization plan that integrates the resources and capabilities of all parties. The G20 has ideal conditions to establish an emergency task force to develop this plan, and coordinate financing and implementation.
The United Nations stands ready to provide full support for related work.
Fore stated that UNICEF is assisting many countries to formulate and implement vaccine distribution programs, including vaccination for people affected by conflict, with the goal of obtaining and distributing 2 billion doses of vaccine by the end of this year.
She said that to accomplish this goal, especially in providing immunization services for people in conflict areas, the support of the Security Council is indispensable.
British Foreign Secretary Raab called on members of the Security Council to pass a resolution requiring a ceasefire in conflict areas as soon as possible to create conditions for advancing the vaccination work.
He said that the conflict may cause about 160 million people in Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and other countries to lose vaccination opportunities.
US Secretary of State Blincoln stated that the United States will pay WHO more than $200 million in dues by the end of this month to ensure that WHO can obtain the support needed to lead the global fight against the epidemic.
Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi said that China is actively developing vaccine research and development cooperation with more than 10 countries.
At the request of WHO, China decided to provide COVAX with 10 million doses of domestic vaccine.
China has provided vaccine assistance to 53 developing countries that have requested it, and has exported vaccines to 22 countries.
He emphasized that all countries should replace division with unity, firmly follow the right path of cooperating to fight the epidemic and overcome difficulties together; replace prejudice with science, and crack down on all kinds of false information and attempts to politicize the epidemic.
The members of the Council must set an example in this regard.
Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaishan Su said that efforts must be made to stop "vaccine nationalism." The hoarding of vaccines will only undermine the efforts of the international community to fight the epidemic.
Mexican Foreign Minister Ebrard said that there has been a huge gap in new crown vaccination, and the international community must build a supply chain that allows all countries to obtain vaccines fairly.
Chappagan and Berkeley also emphasized the importance of equitable access to vaccines and a global ceasefire to fight the epidemic.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there are currently nearly 110 million confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia worldwide and more than 2.4 million deaths.
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