India has co-sponsored a UN General Assembly resolution that called for a fair, transparent and equitable access to essential medical supplies and any future vaccines developed to fight Covid-19 that has claimed over 177,000 lives and infected more than 2.5 million people.
The 193-Member General Assembly adopted the Mexico-drafted resolution ‘International cooperation to ensure global access to medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to face Covid-19’ by consensus on Monday. Pakistan was among the small minority of nations that did not sponsor the resolution.
India was among the 179 nations co-sponsoring the resolution that called for ensuring “ fair, transparent, equitable, efficient and timely access to and distribution of preventive tools, laboratory testing, reagents and supporting materials, essential medical supplies, new diagnostics, drugs and future Covid-19 vaccines” to all nations, particular developing countries.
“ India has proactively engaged in supporting global availability of medicines and drugs by means of international cooperation and development partnerships. Also, we are facilitating the sourcing of global supplies of multilateral agencies such as UNICEF in the face of Covid-19. We were therefore glad to co-sponsor this important initiative,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin told PTI.
India has been at the forefront of sending essential medical supplies and medicines such as anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to several nations, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres saying he “ salutes” nations like India that are helping other countries in their fight against the devastating pandemic.
A number of countries, including the US, Mauritius and Seychelles have already received the drug. In its neighborhood, India is sending the drug to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, The Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Pakistan said it has some reservations on the resolution drafted by Mexico.
“ We regret that the draft resolution could not include reference to ensure access to information, preventive and other health care for all persons arbitrarily deprived of their liberty especially those in regions under foreign occupation,” Pakistan said in its explanation of vote sent to the President of the General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.