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United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres called for bridging the gap between rich and poor, within and between countries.
This, he said, starts with ending the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone, everywhere.
“We urgently need a global immunization plan to at least double vaccine production and ensure vaccines reach 70% of the world’s population in the first half of 2022,” Guterres said in his speech Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly.
He said this plan could be implemented by an emergency task force made up of current and potential vaccine producers, the World Health Organization, Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) – Accelerator partners, and international financial institutions, working with pharmaceutical companies.
“We have no time to waste. An unbalanced recovery deepens inequalities. Wealthier countries could reach pre-pandemic growth rates by the end of this year, while the impacts could last for years. in low-income countries, ”he said.
“Is it any wonder? Advanced economies are investing nearly 28% of their gross domestic product (GDP) in economic recovery. For middle-income countries, that figure drops to 6.5%.
He noted that it drops to 1.8 percent for least developed countries – a tiny percentage of a much smaller amount.
The Secretary-General said that in sub-Saharan Africa, the International Monetary Fund projects that cumulative economic growth per capita over the next five years will be 75% lower than that of the rest of the world; adding that many countries need an urgent injection of liquidity.
“I welcome the issuance of $ 650 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by the International Monetary Fund. But most of these SDRs go to the countries that need them the least, ”he said.
“Advanced economies should reallocate their SDR surpluses to countries in need. SDRs are not a silver bullet. But they provide space for sustainable recovery and growth. “
Mr. Guterres also reiterated his call for a reformed and fairer international debt architecture.
He said the Debt Service Suspension Initiative is to be extended until 2022 and should be available to all highly indebted vulnerable and middle-income countries that request it; by saying “It would be solidarity in action”.
The Secretary-General has said countries should not have to choose between servicing debt and servicing people.
He said that with effective international solidarity, it would be possible at the national level to forge a new social contract that includes universal health coverage and income protection, decent housing and work, quality education for all, and the end of discrimination and violence against women and girls.
“I call on countries to reform their tax systems and finally end tax evasion, money laundering and illicit financial flows,” he said.
“And as we look to the future, we need a better system of prevention and preparedness for all of the major global risks.
“We must support the recommendations of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. “
He reiterated that he had put forward a number of other proposals in their joint agenda, including an emergency platform and a Futures Lab.
Mr Guterres, who also called for bridging the gender divide, said COVID-19 has exposed and amplified the world’s most enduring injustice: the power imbalance between men and women.
“When the pandemic struck, women were the majority of frontline workers, the first to lose their jobs and the first to take a career break to take care of loved ones,” he said.
“Girls have been disproportionately affected by school closures which limit their development and increase the risk of abuse, violence and child marriage.
Source: GNA
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