Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said a successful pandemic recovery must involve universal vaccination ending vaccine inequality. He referred to the unfortunate manifestation of vaccine nationalism and called the world to stand united against such vaccine inequity. “It’s time for development partners to be more humane and help the deserving without discrimination. Vaccine should be a public good,” said the Foreign Minister while speaking at the United Nations high-level Forum on the Culture of Peace held at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. This year’s high-level Forum on the Culture of Peace focused on the transformative role of the Culture of peace in promoting inclusion and resilience in the post Covid recovery. The daylong event included an inaugural session, a plenary session and a virtual panel discussion. “An essential component of our recovery effort from the pandemic must involve a peaceful environment in which all of us irrespective of our caste, creed, colour, race and religion can meaningfully contribute to our re-building efforts. There is no alternative to inculcate the Culture of Peace in our efforts to build back better in the post-Covid recovery,” Dr Momen said. The Foreign Minister recalled Bangladesh’s pioneering role in the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Culture of Peace since 1999 and organization of the high-level forum since 2012. Read: 'Vaccine inequity' concerns IMF, WB, WHO, WTO Apart from the Foreign Minister, the President of the General Assembly, High Representative of UN Alliance of Civilization, Chef de Cabinet of UN Secretary General and the Representative of UNESCO delivered remarks at the inaugural session.

The heads of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organisation and World Trade Organisation recently met with the leaders of the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), Africa CDC, Gavi and UNICEF at the third meeting of the Multilateral Leaders Taskforce on Covid-19 to rapidly scale-up vaccines in low- and lower-middle-income countries. "The global rollout of Covid-19 vaccines is progressing at two alarmingly different speeds. Less than 2% of adults are fully vaccinated in most low-income countries compared to almost 50% in high-income countries," they said in a statement following the meeting. READ: Vaccine inequity biggest barrier to ending pandemic: WHO chief  "These countries, the majority of which are in Africa, simply cannot access sufficient vaccines to meet even the global goals of 10% coverage in all countries by September and 40% by end 2021, let alone the African Union's goal of 70% in 2022."