British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that the new coronavirus pandemic has broken ties between nations and called on world leaders to unite against the “common enemy”, covid-19.
Johnson, who made these statements in a pre-recorded speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, said that nine months after the pandemic, “the very notion of the international community seems tattered.”
“We must never again wage 193 separate campaigns against the same enemy”, defended the government official.
Johnson, who contracted covid-19 last spring and spent three nights in intensive care, also asked countries to share the data to create a global early warning system for disease outbreaks.
In addition, the British Prime Minister urged countries to stop imposing controls on the export of essential goods, as many did during the pandemic.
Johnson has established a plan to prevent another global pandemic, including a network of zoonotic research laboratories (transmitted from animals to humans) around the world to identify pathogens before they pass from animals to humans.
Boris Johnson has also pledged £ 500 million (€ 450 million) through a global COVAX vaccine procurement group to help 92 of the world’s poorest countries get a vaccine against the new coronavirus, should it ever be discovered and available.
The Prime Minister also announced that the United Kingdom will increase its funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) by 30%, that is, to £ 340 million over the next four years.
The British government is now trying to counter the impression that the country is withdrawing from the world stage or becoming more protectionist after its exit from the European Union.
The date of January 31 of this year marked the official departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the beginning of a transition period that will continue until the end of the year, if it is not, in the meantime, extended.
–
