UN President: Vaccination egoism is a failure of international politics – Denník N

Vaccination egoism is a failure of international politics, which only delays the end of the pandemic and gives the virus time to make new and more deadly mutations. This was stated by President Zuzana Čaputová in a video interview during the UN debate.

“More than five billion doses of (anti-cancer) vaccines have been given worldwide, but almost 75 percent of them have been administered in only ten countries. In addition, there are less than 5% vaccination coverage in 50 countries around the world, with only one percent receiving the vaccination rate in half of them. This situation is a failure of international politics, which we are watching live, “Čaputová explained.

“Vaccines must be available to everyone, and therefore Slovakia will continue to support the COVAX project,” she announced.

The Slovak president also called on the international community to take more decisive and faster action to combat climate change, recalling the August report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which stated that the world is warming much faster than previously thought.

“The findings of the recent IPCC report may seem shocking, but the report only states the facts… The forthcoming COP26 conference in Glasgow must set the pace for a much faster change in our actions and a radical reduction in emissions,” said Čaputová, recalling that Slovakia has committed to stop using coal by 2023. for the production of electricity and heat.

According to her, the world should not forget the people most affected by climate change, but also those who will be affected by the transition to renewable energy sources.

“We need to decouple economic growth from the degradation we are causing to our planet and support those who are and will be most affected by these changes. The so-called green climate fund must be adequately funded and accessible,” she said.

However, according to Čaputová, saving the planet also means “supporting an international order based on the rules and principles of the rule of law at home and abroad.”

“Violation of these rules threatens all of us, not just those directly affected in Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar or the Sahel region,” Caputova explained.

According to her, UN countries must support people who demand respect for their fundamental rights, including freedom of expression or assembly.

“Citizens must be able to exercise these rights freely – whether in Belarus, where 650 people are persecuted for political reasons, such as sociologist Valeryja Kasciugav, or in the occupied Crimea, Venezuela, Russia or (China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region), “Said Čaputová.

She reminded the international community of the urgent need to provide “humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, 40 percent of whom now face acute food shortages.” She also called for the protection of the rights of girls and women in this Asian country, which was dominated by the fundamentalist Taliban movement in August.

“Together with the Prime Minister of Iceland, the Prime Minister of New Zealand and other political leaders, we have launched a call for support for Afghan girls and women. I call on you to join forces and ensure that our efforts are translated into concrete steps of support, “Čaputová appealed.

Towards the end of her speech, the President emphasized the importance of inclusion, called for a “silent pandemic of gender-based violence” and noted that “long-term strategies – no matter how great – will only become a short-term episode if we do not involve young people”. (tasr)

My key message to the @UN #UNGA: We are a generation of political leaders who can’t NOT act. #OurCommonAgenda is to urgently adopt effective #ClimateCrisis measures and stop the erosion of international order and #RoL. pic.twitter.com/HPbjg2pVlV

– Zuzana Caputova (@ZuzanaCaputova) September 21, 2021