Global partnership need of the hour to defeat COVID pandemic, says Akram

(Karachi) Pakistan's Permanent Representative and President of United Nations Economic and Social Council Munir Akram has said that global partnership is the need of the hour to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing the virtual 2021 ECOSOC Partnership Forum 'Partnership as a game changer for a sustainable recovery from Covid 19', Akram said that it is essential to provide equitable access to vaccines and technologies in a bid to counter the deadly disease.

He maintained that countries also must work together to prevent millions from descending into extreme poverty and destitution.

The permanent representative highlighted that the world must work towards facilitating the developing and poor nations with direct and indirect economic support and social safety nets. He said the only way to come out of the coronavirus pandemic is to provide fiscal space through debt relief, emergency grants and concession financing to save lives and livelihoods.

The ECOSOC President said pandemic recovery also must be sustained and for that developing nations will need around $4.3 trillion to not only recover from the pandemic but to get back on the path to sustainable development.

He said global partnerships must help to promote financing solutions such as debt restructuring, low-interest loans and greater foreign investment. Munir Akram also called for redressal of the structurally induced economic and social inequalities among and within nations.