[ad_1]
BRUSSELS: The leaders of 23 countries and the World Health Organization on Tuesday backed the idea of creating an international treaty that would help the world deal with future health emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic that is now ravaging the world.
The idea of such a treaty, which would guarantee universal and equitable access to vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for pandemics, was raised by the president of the European Union leaders, Charles Michel, at a G20 summit in November. last.
On Tuesday it had the formal backing of the leaders of Fiji, Portugal, Romania, Great Britain, Rwanda, Kenya, France, Germany, Greece, Korea, Chile, Costa Rica, Albania, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Holland, Tunisia, Senegal , Spain, Norway, Serbia, Indonesia, Ukraine and WHO.
“There will be other pandemics and other major health emergencies. No government or multilateral body can tackle this threat alone,” the leaders wrote in a joint opinion piece in major newspapers.
“We believe that nations should work together towards a new international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response,” they said.
The main objective of such a treaty would be to strengthen the world’s resilience to future pandemics through better alert systems, data exchange, research and the production and distribution of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and personal protective equipment, they said.
The treaty would also declare that the health of humans, animals and the planet are connected and should lead to shared responsibility, transparency and cooperation on a global level.
“We are convinced that it is our responsibility, as leaders of nations and international institutions, to ensure that the world learns the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the leaders wrote. -Reuters
[ad_2]
