Pres. Duterte to reiterate call for equal access on COVID vaccines in UN special session on Dec. 3

Special Session to hone collective response of various countries on virus pandemic

President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a message following his acceptance of the credentials of one of the resident Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary-designate to the Philippines during the virtual presentation of credentials at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on December 2, 2020.  KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

 

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to reiterate his call for equal access to safe and effective vaccines for “rich and poor nations alike” on Dec. 3 when he delivers the Philippine statement on the 31st special session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The special session will happen via video conference from Dec. 3 to 4.

He will deliver the Philippine Statement on Dec. 3, New York time.

President Duterte first made this call at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He is also expected to raise universal access to anti-Covid-9 technologies and products and the need for global efforts to ensure the availability of safe and effective vaccines to peoples of developing nations.

“The President will further amplify his call for global solidarity in addressing the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” a Malacanang statement said.

The Special Session this Dec. 3 to 4 is to be held under Resolution 75/4 adopted by the General Assembly on Nov. 5, 2020, and was first proposed by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a forum of 120 developing world states, if which the Philippines is a member.

-COVID-19 is greatest global health crisis since UN’s establishment-

“The COVID-19 pandemic is not only the greatest global health crisis since the creation of the United Nations 75 years ago. It is also a humanitarian, socio-economic, security and human rights crisis,” the UN General Assembly said in a statement for the Special Session.

“The pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities and exacerbated inequalities within and between developing and developed countries, hitting the poorest and most vulnerable people particularly hard. With entire continents experiencing a resurgence in cases, living with and managing the impact and consequences of COVID-19 is the new global reality that no one can escape,” it said.

According to the Special session website, this session would provides “an opportunity for the international community to assess and hone its collective response to this pandemic.”

“World leaders, United Nations principals and other relevant stakeholders, will be able to engage in dialogue on the impacts of the pandemic on people, societies and economies and discuss the multifaceted, coordinated response required to address this crisis,” it said.

It will also allow “many stakeholders to share their experiences in fighting the pandemic, reflect on the global response to date, and forge a united, coordinated, and people-centered path forward.”

The first day of the special session on Dec. 3 will consist of an opening segment followed by a general debate, and will focus on the experiences of Member States. The interactive dialogue on Dec. 4 will entail “a series of moderated panels covering key aspects of the impact of, and response to, the COVID-19 pandemic, including the UN system’s health and humanitarian response to date; the road to a COVID-19 vaccine; and the socio-economic impact and recovering better.”

(Eagle News Service)