The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, on Wednesday proposed that the Group of 20 (G20) should set up an emergency task force to prepare a ‘Global Vaccination Plan’ against COVID-19 to ensure that the pandemic is tackled holistically.
He spoke to an open debate of the Security Council on ‘ensuring the equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in contexts affected by conflict and insecurity.
‘We have come together to create the COVAX facility, the one global tool to procure and deliver vaccines for low- and middle-income countries.
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‘COVAX requires to be fully funded.
‘But we must do even more; our efforts need to be comprehensive and well-coordinated everywhere,’’ said Guterres.
‘The world urgently needs a Global Vaccination Plan (GVP) to bring together all those with the required power, scientific expertise as well as production and financial capacities.
‘I believe the G20 is well placed to establish an emergency task force to prepare such a global vaccination plan and coordinate its implementation and financing.’ He said.
This task force should include all countries capable of developing vaccines or to produce them if licenses are available, together with global vaccination organizations, other relevant technical organizations, and international financial institutions.
The task force would have the capacity to mobilize the pharmaceutical companies and key industry as well as logistics actors, he said.
‘I am ready to galvanize the full UN system in support of this effort’ He declared.
‘The G7 (Group of Seven) meeting later this week can create the momentum to mobilize the necessary financial resources,’ said the UN chief.
‘At this critical moment, vaccine equity is the biggest moral test facing the global community’ he said.
‘We must ensure that everybody, everywhere can be vaccinated as soon as possible.’
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK