Qatar push for equitable distribution of vaccines

The President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly Volkan Bozkir held an informal meeting at the request of Qatar, Lebanon, Brazil, Denmark, Fiji, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, South Korea, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Senegal, Sweden and the United Kingdom, which are the countries that prepared the 'Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to Covid-19 Vaccines', in order to announce the launch of the Joint Political Declaration that 181 countries joined until the date of the session.

The declaration urges member states to ensure that all countries have access to vaccines in a comprehensive, equitable, affordable and timely manner, as part of the response efforts to the coronavirus pandemic. It also urges the elimination of gaps in obtaining Covid-19 vaccines. The political declaration stresses that "no one can be safe until everyone is safe," and that equitable and affordable access to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines must be ensured to have a speedy recovery and contribute to putting an end to the pandemic.

The declaration also urges all governments and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to implement relevant UN resolutions and commitments, in particular on international co-operation to ensure equal access to safe and efficacious medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to face Covid-19.

The countries sponsoring the political declaration also express concern about the low availability of Covid-19 vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. In this regard, they welcome the efforts of countries which have donated Covid-19 vaccines, and encourage further sharing of vaccine doses from all countries to do so, to low- and middle-income countries and other countries in need, particularly through Covax Facility, including on the basis of the WHO allocation framework, for fair access and equitable allocation of Covid-19 health products.

The political declaration urges member states to significantly increase their support to the Covax contracts with vaccine producers, not limiting the availability of vaccines as a result of competing bilateral contracts.