Covid-19: at the Paris Peace Forum, the boss of the WHO calls for political courage

The President of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, here in October 2021 in Geneva.

AP - FABRICE COFFRINI

Text by: RFI Follow

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Reducing global divides is the theme of the Paris Peace Forum which was inaugurated this Thursday afternoon by French President Emmanuel Macron and American Vice-President Kamala Harris. 

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With our special correspondent at the Grande Halle de La Villette,

Achim Lippold

If one sentence had to be retained from the discussions on Thursday afternoon, it would be that of the President of the World Health Organization.

The end of the pandemic no longer depends on technical progress, but on our political courage, said Tedros Ghebreyesus, pointing to the G20 countries which have not done enough to share their vaccines with poor countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirms: there are still efforts to be made to facilitate the access of southern countries to anti-Covid vaccines.

The head of state asked for more help to allow these countries to produce their own vaccine.

The other strong theme of the day was the regulation of cyberspace, a theme dear to France which wishes to mobilize governments and companies in favor of better regulation of the Internet. With some success: US Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Thursday that the United States would join the Paris appeal, a French initiative presented at the first Peace Forum three years ago, which aims to make cyberspace more secure.

About thirty heads of state and government participate face-to-face and remotely in this fourth edition of the Paris Peace Forum, which also brings together business leaders and NGO representatives.

Created in 2018, this annual event aims to establish a regular meeting of world decision-makers in Paris like what is done in Davos in economic matters or in Munich on security issues, two very popular events at each start. year.

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  • Coronavirus

  • France

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Health and medicine