The UN General Assembly moved on Thursday to hold a special session focused on international coordination to the coronavirus pandemic from December 3-4 in New York.
Discussed since June, the meeting is intended to bring together heads of state and government according to a resolution adopted by 150 of the 193 General Assembly members.
No country voted against the measure, while the US, Israel and Armenia abstained. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hoped the session would be “an opportunity for member states to move forward together,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Guterres had “expressed a bit of frustration over the lack of coordinated approach to fighting the pandemic, whether it was initially on closures, whether it was on the vaccine, or whether it is on long term development challenges,” Dujarric added.
Leaders will be able to submit five-minute pre-recorded statements to be broadcast in the General Assembly Hall.
The clips will be played after short introductions from representatives physically present in the room, according to the resolution – a format similar to that of the annual General Assembly meeting in September.
In-person appearances by world leaders are unlikely, given New York state’s required 14-day quarantine period for international visitors.
The United States has already indicated it is opposed to an expanded role for the World Health Organization in fighting the pandemic, a stance facing major Russia pushback.
Germany, meanwhile, criticized the resolution as too vague, while Britain called for representation from non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups.
In other news – Generations The Legacy actress Manaka Ranaka Shows off Her Baby Bump
Manaka Ranaka hinted that she is pregnant on her Instagram page but without really revealing nor confirming anything as well. We all thought that maybe she was talking about her newborn grandchild from her beautiful firstborn daughter. Learn more
Source: eNCA
