The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) will create a high-level panel for global recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was announced this Thursday by the head of state of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, during the opening meeting of the Summit of the NAM contact group to confront the health crisis unleashed by the virus, reported Latin Press.
In this sense, the president called on the members of the movement to begin consultations for the establishment of this panel and to strengthen efforts to adjust the goals established in the Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the United Nations.
Likewise, he called for reinforcing South-South cooperation and defending the principles of sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit of the countries.
For his part, the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s presidency of the NAM, reported Telesur.
He also noted that “the collective experience of the Non-Aligned Movement helps the World Health Organization to build a safer world.”
“The Non-Aligned Movement plays a crucial role in fighting the pandemic and solving these problems, as well as preventing them in the future,” he added.
They warn of a growing trend towards colonialism
On the other hand, Aliyev warned about the changes that are taking place in an international situation marked by the threats derived from the violation of the principles of sovereignty and non-interference and the risks that hang over multilateralism.
Likewise, the president expressed a growing tendency towards colonialism and recalled that the Non-Aligned MovementNAM was formed as part of the decolonization process.
He pointed out the need to agree on the reform of the United Nations (UN) system and its Security Councils, particularly with the expansion of the number of members of that body to make it more representative.
Venezuela calls for an end to neocolonial visions
In his participation in the NAM Summit on behalf of Venezuela, the Vice Minister for Multilateral Issues Rubén Molina stressed “the importance of putting an end to neocolonial visions, as well as aggressive policies and blockades, in order to, in this new post- -pandemic, move towards a full recovery and ensure that no one is left behind.
This was reported by the Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Joaquín Pérez, in his account on the social network Twitter.
“We arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in the Summit of the Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) created in response to COVID-19, and to discuss the design of common strategies, from the Global South, to advance in the post-pandemic recovery ”, reviews a publication by Pérez upon his arrival at the event.
Taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Summit is attended by representatives of some 70 countries, including the presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Libya; vice presidents of Cuba, Gabon and Tanzania; prime ministers of Algeria and Kenya, among others.
Pérez also indicated that, as part of this international event, he accompanied the Vice Minister for Multilateral Issues, Rubén Darío Molina, in a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Araz Azimov.
NAM efforts in the face of covid-19
This Summit follows up on the one held on May 4, 2020 under the theme “United against Covid-19”.
On that occasion, the participants approved a declaration titled, United against the COVID-19 pandemic, which expressed the determination of the Non-Aligned to make an effective contribution to international efforts to address the unprecedented effects of the global pandemic. .
As will be recalled, the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Thedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, indicated that the end of the covid-19 health crisis could come to an end during this year 2023.
Official data from the WHO indicate that about 758 million positive cases of covid-19 have been registered to date. Of these, at least 7 million people have died.
