President Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged member states of the United Nations (UN) to readily make available any vaccine that might be discovered in the fight against Covid-19 to all, irrespective of their status.
“We’ve all gone down together. We should all rise together. If the answer to this pandemic lies in finding a vaccine, that vaccine should be made available to the whole world; rich and poor alike, developed and developing, all races and all beliefs. The virus has taught us that we are all at risk and there’s no special protection for the rich or a particular class,” he said.
The President made the call yesterday in a virtual address to the UN General Assembly from the Jubilee House.
He stated that with the drastic effects of the virus on economies around the world, making available the vaccine will go a long way in helping most of the countries gravely affected to rise again.
“We’re told by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that Covid-19 has brought… a significant reduction in the financing available to developing economies. Again, the organisation is estimating that external private finance influence to developing economies could drop by US$700billion in 2020, compared to 2019 levels, exceeding the immediate impact of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis by 60 per cent,” he said.
Injustice
President Akufo-Addo further bemoaned the current structure and composition of the UN, especially the Security Council, which he indicated does not represent the realities of the 21st century.
“The time has come for the adoption and endorsement of Africa’s common position on UN reform as set out in the Ezulwini Consensus so we can create a modern United Nations fit for purpose in our time. We should also focus our attention on the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially as we mark the beginning of decade of action to deliver the goals and targets of agenda 2030.
“Mr President, as Co-Chair of the SDG Group of Eminent Advocates, Ghana believes that the effective implementation of the 17 SDGs remains critical to making the multilateral system relevant in addressing the global challenges we face,” he said.
December 7 elections
Speaking on Ghana’s impending elections, the President said the pandemic has affected how political parties will be campaigning for votes.
He however assured that Ghana will once again conduct a successful election.
“It is a matter of great pride to me that in spite of the difficulties in conducting an election during a pandemic, I’m able to state that all Ghanaians have agreed that we have to work together to ensure that the elections will be transparent, free, fair, safe and credible. This will be the 8th elections since we embarked on constitutional rule in our Fourth Republic in 1992.
“We are keenly aware of the reputation Ghana has built as a tolerant and working democracy, and we have every intention to nurture and improve upon it,” he stated.
Source: dailystatesman.com.gh
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