Joe Biden to 'immediately' mend ties with WHO, will attend executive meeting: Report

US President-elect Joe Biden would take steps to mend ties with the World Health Organization (WHO) as soon as he assumes office, a fact sheet released by Biden’s transition team revealed. Reversing his predecessor’s stand on the UN agency, Biden would send country’s top medical expert Anthony Fauci to speak to the group. In July 2020, the Donald Trump-led administration officially severed ties with WHO accusing it of conspiring with China to hide “crucial” facts about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read: Trump Admin Officially Withdraws US From World Health Organisation Amid COVID-19 Crisis

The top democrat had, repeatedly, asserted that reconciling America’s relations with the global health agency was one of the main agendas in his efforts to “Build Back Better”. Upon assuming seat as US’ 46th President, Biden along with Fauci would attend WHO’s Executive Meeting later this week, his transition team revealed. Once both parties reconcile, Biden would then work towards “strengthening” and “reforming” the UN agency, efforts that Trump denounced during his term.

In April, a month after WHO declared the coronavirus as a pandemic, Trump blamed UN agency for hiding crucial information about the global crisis. Not only did Trump belittle the organization calling it “PR mechanism of China” but officially first froze US funds to WHO. At the end of May, the US President had sent an official letter to UN chief calling it an end of US-WHO relations.

Read: COVID-19: UN Chief Urges International Community To Support WHO 'at This Crucial Time'

Last week, Biden revealed what he will do in the first 100 days of his administration. Biden has said that the first thing he will do is to immediately reverse all executive orders signed by the outgoing president Donald Trump. The former vice-president added that he will introduce an immigration bill during the first 100 days of his administration, which will see a u-turn from Trump's "cruel" immigration policies that had banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

Read: Joe Biden's Plans For First 100 Days In Office, Will Reverse All Trump-era Orders

Read: Trump Admin Officially Withdraws US From World Health Organisation Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Biden's swearing-in ceremony 

The inauguration of 46th US President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to take place around 10:00-10:30 PM (IST) or 11:30 AM (ET) on January 20 amid concerns of potentially armed protests across the nation. The historic swearing-in ceremony for Biden and first woman US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be one-of-a-kind with a mixture of virtual and in-person attendees owing to the alarming situation of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.