PM seeks fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

Kathmandu, May 21

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that since the vulnerable countries and societies have been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic, international community should consider some sort of pandemic response fund so as to help recover the severely affected nations.

"It will be difficult for them to stand back in the absence of robust, meaningful and enhanced global partnership," he said while speaking at the 26^th International Conference on the future of Asia that concluded on Friday.

Stating that at a time of worldwide humanitarian crisis, all must rise to the challenge in addressing it collectively, he called upon the governments of the advanced nations to come forward with maximum flexibility in, for example, fair distribution of vaccines and waiving intellectual property rights for production of vaccines in developing countries.

"‘Whole of the government’ and ‘whole of society’ approach may not be sufficient to overcome the massive crises we are facing. It is the ‘whole of the region’ and ‘whole of the world’ approach that is critically required," said Prime Minister Oli.

According to him, the virus has also reinforced that in this connected world, nobody is safe until everybody is safe. 

"On the face of this unprecedented difficulty, the time-tested Asian values of fraternity, peaceful co-existence and sense of equity and justice are proving once again their merit. These values were born out of our collective, civilisational conviction on harmony, discipline and primacy of the larger public good and interest," he said.

He took the opportunity to invite the private sector from countries around the world who can capitalise on Nepal’s vast investment potentials and contribute to our growth.

He said that in order to fulfil the national development aspiration, Nepal sought continuous support from its close friends, development partners, and regional and multilateral financial institutions. 

"We seek to maintain and further consolidate our relations with the neighbouring countries, development partners and other friendly countries on the basis of sovereign equality, justice, mutual respect and mutual benefit," he said.

PM Oli said that confronted by this colossal threat, he had made an appeal to the international community and philanthropic organisations around the world to provide Nepal with vaccines, diagnostic tools, oxygen kits, critical care medicines and equipment to help us protect its people’s lives.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 May 2021.