India, along with 168 nations, voted in favour of a Covid-19 resolution in the UN General Assembly that reaffirms international cooperation to respond to one of the greatest global challenges and acknowledges the World Health Organisation’s key leadership role in responding to the outbreak, a reference the US objected to as it opposed the resolution.
The Omnibus Resolution on Comprehensive and Coordinated Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic was overwhelmingly adopted by the 193-member General Assembly Friday, with 169 nations voting in favour of the resolution that recognised the Covid-19 pandemic as one of the greatest global challenges in the history of the United Nations.
The measure, which has been negotiated since May, was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 169 countries out of 193, with Ukraine and Hungary abstaining.
The text, called an omnibus resolution because it covers multiple aspects of the pandemic, “acknowledges the key leadership role of WHO and the fundamental role of the United Nations system in catalyzing and coordinating the comprehensive global response to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
In its explanation of vote, the US said it does not concur with the references to the World Health Organisation in the resolution and criticised China for hiding the truth about the outbreak that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
”Unfortunately, we might never know for certain how much of the pain and suffering caused by COVID-19 could have been avoided if the Chinese Communist Party had behaved like a responsible government and immediately warned the rest of the world of the virus that they uncovered in Wuhan,” the US Mission to the UN said.
”Not only did they fail the world, but the World Health Organisation’s failures in the early days of the pandemic also contributed to needless suffering and the worsening of this pandemic. The WHO needs to reform, including by demonstrating its independence from the Chinese Communist Party,” the US Mission said.
At today's US-India 2+2 Intersessional mtg, senior officials discussed key aspects of the #USIndia Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including defense cooperation, combating COVID-19, & our shared commitment to a free & open #IndoPacific. https://t.co/G8c0snwhgZ
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) September 11, 2020
The United States withdrew from the WHO this spring, accusing the body of mismanaging the coronavirus pandemic and delaying the launch of a global alert.
The text “calls for intensified international cooperation and solidarity to contain, mitigate and overcome the pandemic and its consequences.”
And it supports UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call in March for a ceasefire between countries in order to better facilitate the fight against the pandemic — a request that has been little followed.
The text additionally calls for “the urgent removal of unjustified obstacles,” meaning sanctions, in order to create better access to products used in combatting the virus.
It requests nations to maintain food and agricultural supply chains and encourages synching economic recovery strategies to promote sustainable development and combat climate change.
Ahead of the vote, the United States unsuccessfully attempted to remove a paragraph on protecting women in the area of sexual and reproductive health, over objections about abortion.
Libya and Iraq also voted for the paragraph’s removal. However, more than 120 countries voted to keep it and 25 countries abstained.
