UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that vaccination efforts in rich countries could be undermined by new virus mutations in the global South
Berlin, May, 28th 2021 – Inequities in vaccine distribution are “totally unacceptable,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Global Solutions Summit, warning that “anger” in countries falling behind could endanger international relations.
Condemning vaccine nationalism and hoarding, Guterres said the vaccination campaigns of rich nations in the global North could be undermined by a vaccine-resistant mutation arising in the global South due to the lack of vaccines there.
“It is absolutely essential to double the production of vaccines,” the UN chief said. “We must have an equitable distribution and we are far from having it.”
Echoing Guterres’ comments, Martin Schulz, member of the German parliament and president of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, said it was “absolutely contra-productive to be egoistic and selfish in such a moment.”
Guterres said that people in African and Latin American countries feel left behind, and that this could have “dramatic consequences” for global stability. “This anger can be very dangerous in relation to future international relations,” he said.
By Sophie Wingate, on behalf of the Global Solutions Initiative
Notes to the Editors
The Global Solutions Summit 2021 will take a hybrid virtual and in-person format due to the Corona pandemic this year. In the studio, which will be set up in-house at the Berlin European School of Management Technology (ESMT), participants from all over the world will be connected with moderators and speakers who will attend in person from the studio. A digital platform will allow all participants not only to follow the presentations and discussions, but also to exchange ideas with other attendees. “The appeal of the physical Summit has always been the ability to meet face-to-face with many like-minded people. It is exceedingly important to us that much of this can also take place in the digital space,” stresses Dennis J. Snower.
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The Global Solutions Summit is held annually by the Global Solutions Initiative, a global think tank network which contributes to greater continuity and impact within G20 policy arenas, by bringing together G20 leaders and leading scientists to find solutions to the world’s great challenges. The Global Solutions Initiative is chaired by Professor Dennis J. Snower, President emeritus of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The Global Solutions Summit is a T20-associated event. The T20 is one of the official G20 engagement groups and comprises the most important think tanks of the G20 countries.
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About the Global Solutions Initiative
The Global Solutions Initiative is a global collaborative enterprise that proposes policy responses to major global problems, addressed by the G20, the G7 and other global governance fora. The policy recommendations and strategic visions are generated through a disciplined research program by leading research organizations, elaborated in policy dialogues between researchers, policymakers, business leaders and civil society representatives.