PM to address UN summit on Covid response

Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to join nearly 100 world leaders at a two-day session of the United Nations General Assembly on the response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic and forging a united path forward to better recovery, including access to a vaccine.

According to the speakers list, the summit, which opened on Thursday, would be addressed by 53 heads of state, 39 heads of government, 4 deputy prime ministers and 38 ministers. They will address the session through pre-recorded videos.

Those slated to address the session include French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and European Union chief Charles Michel.

The US will be represented by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Prime Minister Imran’s speech will be broadcast in the afternoon of the Thursday’s session. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram will also speak in his capacity as head of the UN Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc).

The pandemic has claimed 1.5 million lives worldwide, shattered economies and left tens of millions of people unemployed. “The real point of this special is to galvanise concrete action to approach our response to Covid-19 in a multilateral and collective way,” said the spokesperson for UNGA president said.

“What’s needed now is to bring together all countries, UN actors, the private sector and vaccine developers,” he added. The special session will not be raising money to finance vaccine immunisations or taking any political action, and there will be no final declaration. APP