UN to convene 2-day special session on COVID-19, India's Secretary West listed as speaker

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will convene a special two-day session on the COVID-19 pandemic starting Thursday, where more than 100 world leaders are expected to appear virtually. Vikas Swarup, who is Secretary (West) at the External Affairs Ministry, will represent India at the special session. Heads of State and ministers, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga, German Chancellor Angela Merkel are some of the world leaders to address the session.

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"World leaders, United Nations principals, and other relevant stakeholders will be able to engage in dialogue on the impacts of the pandemic on people, societies, and economies and discuss the multifaceted, coordinated response required to address this crisis. The two-day special session will allow many stakeholders to share their experiences in fighting the pandemic, reflect on the global response to date, and forge a united, coordinated, and people-centered path forward," UNGA said in a statement. 

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What's on the table?

The first day of the special session on December 3 will see participants debate and discuss their experiences of handling the outbreak. The second day will focus on the key aspects of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and will also address the response by Member States, including the UN system’s health and humanitarian response to date. The dialogue will address the "road to recovery", including the development of a vaccine and economic recovery. The program will start at 9 am at the UN headquarters in New York, where statements in the opening segment will be followed by a general debate. 

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Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has infected more than 64 million people from across the world and has killed over 1.4 million so far. American firms Pfizer and Moderna have announced vaccines last month, which they claim is more than 90 percent effective. Several countries are looking to secure doses from these companies as they await approval from regulators. The United Kingdom on Wednesday has become the first country to approve a vaccine as Pfizer received an emergency use authorisation certificate.   

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(Image Credit: AP)