A former president of the UN General Assembly has called on the body to set up the first high-level summit of global leaders since the coronavirus pandemic began before the end of the year.
As it marks its 75th anniversary, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said a huge task facing the UN was to defend the gains under its leadership in global health, particularly the situation of women, and equality. To do so, she said the impact of the pandemic has to be addressed and a November summit would be an optimum moment for leadership on the crisis, including ensuring universal access to a vaccine.
"The multilateral system is really not self-operating machinery. It depends on human decision-making and we are at the crossroads," she told The National. "We need to take the right decisions and this calls for our leaders of both the executive branch of the UN but also the political branch -- the UN General Assembly -- to play a very important role this year.
"Their convening power is key and there must be a high level meeting on Covid-19 in November. After all these months you hope a global summit on coronavirus would promote the inclusive multilateral system and build a narrative of hope."
After decades of progress in maternal and other measures of women's health, the pandemic has inflicted a sharp setback that the UN must put at the heart of its agenda.
"The 75th anniversary is to actually look specifically at that issue of the role of the UN in progressing health, and in particular progress in women's health because it isn't a landmark achievement of the overall body," said Ms Espinosa.
"The particular role of the UN now is obvious," she added. "It's got a lot of infrastructure around healthcare around the world but it's also got the power of issuing declarations, it has the language to directly address the issues facing women. Those words are important in themselves."
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Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, speaks in a pre-recorded message which was played during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV via AP -
Pope Francis speaks during the United Nations General Assembly seen on a laptop computer in Hastings on the Hudson, New York, US. Bloomberg -
A man watches the televised speech of Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan. EPA -
Scott Morrison, Australia's prime minister, speaks during the United Nations General Assembly. Bloomberg -
US President Donald Trump (on screen), as he addresses the general debate of the seventy-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly. AFP -
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaks in a pre-recorded message which was played during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV via AP -
Xi Jinping, China's president, speaks during the United Nations General Assembly seen on a laptop computer. Bloomberg -
United States President Donald Trump speaks in a pre-recorded message which was played during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV via AP -
A statue of former South African President Nelson Mandela is seen in the empty arrivals hall at United Nations headquarters during the 75th annual UN General Assembly high level debate. Reuters -
A UN police officer stands at an empty entrance at the United Nations. AFP -
Dian Triansyah Djani, left, permanent representative of Indonesia to the UN, takes a photo with Kairat Umarov, centre, permanent representative of Kazakhstan and Tijjani Muhammad-Bande former president of the General Assembly. UN via AP -
US President Donald Trump (on screen), as he addresses the general debate. AFP -
President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping (on screen), as he addresses the general debate. AFP -
President of of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (on screen), as he addresses the general debate. AFP -
Donald Trump, president of the United States, speaks in a pre-recorded message. UN via AP -
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, speaks in a pre-recorded message which was played during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV via AP -
Chinese President Xi Jinping appearing by video link at the United Nations 75th anniversary is seen on an outdoor screen as pedestrians walk past below in Beijing on September 22, 2020. AFP -
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV Via AP -
Representatives of different countries listen to speakers during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV via AP -
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks in a pre-recorded message. UNTV via AP -
United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir, of Turkey, speaks during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV via AP -
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, top, speaks in a pre-recorded message being played during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. UNTV via AP
She said that countries led by female political leaders had performed better in the crisis, proven by fewer outbreaks and per capita deaths, and shorter lockdowns.
"You know these women leaders possess different qualities by and large -- empathy, better communication, transparency in information, listening to science and taking informed decisions," she said. "I think it has been a combination of all of the above, connecting directly to families and households, pushing people to change their daily life behaviour, to protect themselves and protect others.
"The critical issue has been making informed decisions, listening to science and scientists. So women bridge this connection between knowledge, science and decision-making and it is a formula for success. It is not a secret: we keep saying it but women in leadership positions can lead to improving solutions."
The former Ecuadorian minister for defence said the economic recovery must be structured in a way to reverse the disproportionate adverse consequences suffered by women during the downturn.
"We need, for example, to make sure that all these recovery packages that are put together place women at the centre," she said. "To ensure, for example, that investment in maintaining shelters for victims of domestic violence or access to sexual and reproductive health services are secured."
With many countries dramatically scaling up spending in healthcare, seeing it as a key measure of resilience in society, Ms Espinosa said there was a role for the UN in promoting universality of access to healthcare, ideally by a target date of 2030.
"Countries with stronger health systems have been more resilient to the pandemic," she said. "For this reason, we need to deliver on the universal health coverage by 2030.
"It is, I think, an essential prerequisite for global health security after so many lives have been lost to Covid-19. We have these unique opportunities of building back better, particularly if this policy is gender responsive.
"Longer-term there is a gender triple dividend. That is better health security. economic empowerment through access to better job creation and accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals."
