At the General Assembly, UN Chief Antonio Guterres stated that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing massive destruction to the marginalized and poor communities. A disproportionate effect is seen on the most vulnerable people: living in poverty, working poor, women, children, people with disabilities, and other groups.
A virtual meeting was held, which is the first in a series of discussions on ending poverty. The meeting also held the inauguration of the Alliance for Poverty Eradication, an initiative of the President of General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.
Recovery of the Affected
Eradicating poverty is a key part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and is the first of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN chief reminded everyone that poverty and hunger are still rising in the 21st century, where food production is much higher than before. The economic recovery plan should prioritize those who are at the highest risk, such as those working in the informal sector, the small and medium enterprises, and the women. The general also proposed a rescue and recovery package which will be equivalent to 10% of the global economy.
The UN chief kept emphasizing the fact that international cooperation is a key to overcoming this pandemic in developing nations. There is a need to provide financial assistance, and postponing the foreign debts.
‘A blot on humanity’s conscience’
During the address, Mr Muhammad-Bande described poverty as a “blot on humanity’s conscience”, which is causing further chaos by triggering conflicts and civil wars. The Alliance for Poverty Eradication is created to address the issues of poverty around the globe, looking into the origin and cause of them, forming networks, and information sharing. The president stated that this is the first UN Agency that promotes ending poverty, and will is going to open doors for many new ideas and innovations to flourish and help solve the immense challenge of poverty.
COVID-19 Pandemic Not Even Close To Being Over
The WHO chief on 29th June said that the pandemic is not even close to being over. It has been 6 months now since the pandemic started, and acknowledging this sour milestone, Tedros Adhanom requested a global commitment to protect the lives and save those who are already infected. The total cases crossed the 10 million mark, with the death of 500,000 people, and the virus is still spreading.
The New Normal
WHO also published an updated timeline, which is the list of all the actions that the agency has taken since the appearance of the coronavirus in China last year. The response includes educating the healthcare workers, PPE production and transport, solidarity trials for finding the vaccine, etc.
5 Ways to Save Lives
The UN Chief also pointed out 5 different ways nations can tackle and stop the spread of the coronavirus. He mentioned it in his tweet as shown below.
Statistics and Data: UN
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