The world is "
at war
" against the Covid-19, assured the UN chief on Monday, May 24, calling on the international community to go beyond solidarity and to enter a "
war economy
" to stop the virus .
“
We are at war with a virus.
We need the logic and the urgency of a war economy, to strengthen the capacity of our weapons
”, declared Antonio Guterres, at the opening of the annual meeting of the members of the World Health Organization (WHO).
"
The most vulnerable are those who suffer the most, and I fear that this is far from over,
" he added.
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The UN secretary general called on the world to respond "
in a resolute and united manner to stop the virus
", but stressed that this was not enough.
“
We are at war with a virus.
We need the logic and the urgency of a war economy, to strengthen the capacity of our weapons
”, he noted.
Vaccinate the whole world
"
If we do not act now, we will find ourselves in a situation where rich countries will vaccinate the majority of their populations and open up their economies, while the virus will continue to cause great suffering as it circulates and mutates in the poorest countries. poorer,
”he warned.
"
Further spikes and surges could claim hundreds of thousands of lives and slow the global economic recovery
."
Antonio Guterres indicated that he had therefore asked the G20 on Friday, May 21 to set up a working group bringing together in particular all countries with vaccine production capacities, the WHO and international financial institutions capable of dealing with companies. pharmaceuticals and other key players.
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This working group "
should aim to at least double the production capacity by exploring all options, from voluntary licenses and technology transfers to the pooling of patents and the use of flexibilities in intellectual property rights.
", He explained.
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The UN chief also asks that this special group also look into the issue of equitable distribution of vaccines at the global level.
"
I am ready to mobilize the entire United Nations system to support this effort,
" he said.
