The United Nations voted on Thursday to hold a summit on the COVID-19 pandemic in December, to press for collective action on the global spread of the coronavirus and its effects on societies, economies, jobs, global trade and travel, the Associated Press reported.
The meeting will be held on December 3-4 according to a resolution passed by the General Assembly in a vote of 150-0 with Israel, the United States and Armenia abstaining. It will include a discussion lead by World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in addition to prerecorded speeches by heads of state and government of the 193 UN member teams, a Palestinian observer and the Holy See.
The negotiations for the resolution, which was led by Azerbaijan and Canada, were put to vote after three proposed amendments by the same three countries who abstained from voting, were defeated.
The amendment put forth by Israel would have eliminated a reference to UN “observer states,” which include the Palestinian territories.
The amendment put forth by the United States would have eliminated a reference to the WHO, which the US withdrew from in July under order from President Donald Trump.
The proposed amendment by Armenia would have eliminated a reference to the 120-member Nonaligned Movement, which initiated the call for a special session, AP reported.
The goal of the resolution is to recognize a need for a global response to the pandemic “that is people-centered, gender-responsive, with full respect for human rights, multidimensional, coordinated, inclusive and innovative, based on unity, solidarity and multilateral cooperation," AP reported.
Assembly President Volkan Bozkir called the session a "historic moment," but added later that "if anything, it's a belated first step."
In October, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in an interview with the Associated Press, called out the G20 for not having come together in March to establish a coordinated response to suppress the coronavirus. He blamed the lack of coordination for the consequent spread of the virus across the globe.
Later this month, a virtual summit will be held on November 21-22 during which Guterres and the UN will advocate for better coordination in addition to seeking a "guarantee" that any coronavirus vaccine will not only be made available and affordable to the global population, but also be treated as a "public good."