United Nations: The United Nations chief criticised the total lack of international coordination in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and warned that the go-it-alone policy of many countries will not defeat the coronavirus.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an interview with The Associated Press that what needs to be done is to make countries understand that by acting in isolation “they are creating the situation that is getting out of control” — and that global coordination is key.
COVID-19 started in China, moved to Europe, then to North America and now to South America, Africa and India, he said, and some people are now talking about second waves coming at any moment.
Yet, Guterres said, “there is total lack of coordination among countries in the response to the COVID.”
Guterres said it’s important to use that fact “to make countries understand that bringing them together, putting together their capacities, not only in fighting the pandemic in a coordinated way but in working together to have the treatments, testing mechanisms, the vaccines … accessible to everybody, that this is the way we defeat the pandemic.”
The secretary-general said coordinating political, economic and social responses to the fallout from COVID-19 including job losses, increasing violence and human rights being violated will also help mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
From the start of the pandemic, Guterres has been trying to mobilise international action to address what he says is the biggest international challenge since World War II.
He called for a global ceasefire to all conflicts on March 23 to tackle COVID-19 but the response has been very limited.
“I am frustrated, of course, with the lack of international cooperation at the present moment,” he said, “but I hope that new generations will be able to make things change in the future.” (AP)
