UNITED NATIONS – The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, warned today that the world has reached a catastrophic stage: the Coronavirus has caused the death of two million people and its impact is exacerbated by the lack of international coordination.
In the memory of these two million people, the world must act with greater solidarity, as the United Nations president stressed in a video released on Friday.
And he warned that we are now seeing how vaccines reach the rich countries quickly and the poor do not get them.
The Portuguese diplomat insisted that science succeeds, but solidarity fails.
In addition, he added, the epidemic cannot be defeated in one country at a time, and joint efforts are necessary.
Guterres stressed that some countries at this time are seeking parallel agreements, even buying beyond their needs, although governments have a responsibility to protect their populations, vaccine nationalism is counterproductive and will delay the global recovery.
He also indicated the importance of prioritizing immunization among health-care workers, the humanitarian population, and populations at high risk.
The Secretary-General said that as science continues to ignite new paths of hope, let us remember the simple steps we can all take to stay safe: wearing masks, physically distancing ourselves and avoiding crowds.
He said the United Nations is committed to ensuring that vaccines are considered global public goods, but that this requires full funding directed at initiatives that ensure the global production and distribution of preparations, within everyone’s reach.
“The major economies of the world bear a special responsibility,” he said, adding that in the current scenario, only global solidarity saves lives, protects people and helps defeat this virus.
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