By: AswathyP
Bangladesh has announced that it will contribute $50,000 to the Global Citizen fund for the development and deploy of Covid-19 vaccines in an equitable manner amidst the pandemic.
“I am pleased to announce a contribution of $50,000 for supporting the development and availability of safe and effective vaccines. Very importantly, this initiative will grant equitable access of vaccines and healthcare to marginalized communities,” said foreign minister Dr A K Abdul Momen, reports BSS.
The Bangladesh foreign minister was virtually addressing the Global Goal: Unite for Our Future – the Summit, organized by the European Commission and the Global Citizen on Saturday to create an additional funding to develop and deploy coronavirus vaccines, tests, and treatments.
Momen said Bangladesh has always attached importance to the principles of equity, fairness, and national ownership.
“This commitment guides our support for this resource mobilization effort towards promoting equitable access to services for those most in need anywhere in the world, so that no one is left behind,” he said.
Momen said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remains firm and focused on the front of this unforeseen crisis and “we shall continue to remain true to our international obligations while anticipating responsible conduct from our relevant partners in mitigating this accidental shock.”
Noting that Bangladesh had to endure the additional crisis resulting from the super-cyclone Amphan amidst the coronavirus pandemic, he urged the global leadership to take adequate measures to evade the impending climate change disaster.
The foreign minister also said that the large population of forcibly-displaced Rohingya that Bangladesh is hosting in its territory “has certainly added to our difficulty.”
Appreciating the role of the Global Citizen and the European Commission over creating the fund, Momen said the initiative is in line with the spirit of “cooperation and partnership, not isolation” that Bangladesh has been advocating in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
European Commission president Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen hosted the summit that included interventions by world leaders as well as international advocates, artists, and activists.
The Global Goal: Unite for Our Future campaign was launched by the European Commission and the international advocacy organization Global Citizen on May 28 and has so far mobilized $6.9 billion – $1.5 billion in cash grants and $5.4 billion in loans and guarantees – to combat the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.
