The COVID-19 Pandemic was top of the agenda at the World Health Summit last month, which featured speakers including the UN Secretary General, thePresident of the European Commission and the Director General of the World Health Organisation. Speakers emphasized global cooperation and equity for vaccine distribution to ensure longer-term security and containment of the pandemic.
InterAction Council Scientific Advisor Moneef Zou’bi, spoke on a platform for "Overcoming Cultural Barriers through Respect and Dialogue" following which Dr Zou’bi made the below reflections:
“To manage the socio-political and socio-economic fallout on our post-COVID-19 world, polity should focus on respect ad dialogue as a foundation of national and international security. Our post-COVID-19 world will witness extraordinary tumult with polities struggling to maintain social order, upholding security while generally adopting good governance practices. Realising long-term security in most countries can only be achieved by assuring sustainable and equitable socio-economic development. Regional insecurity is heightened in the absence of dialogue, dialogue that has to again become the norm in the face of existential threats both regionally and globally.”
On a panel discussion with Dr. Margaret Chan, former Director General for the WHO, InterAction Council strategic advisor, Dr. Joanna Nurse outlined successful characteristics of national responses, with discussions emphasizing the importance of transparent governance and communications. Key recommendations from the InterAction Council COVID-19 policy brief were highlighted, including strengthening Leadership, Multilateral Responses, Investing in a Green Recovery, and scaling up Public Health Systems through Digital Transformation.
National responses to COVID-19
InterAction Council COVID-19 Framework