Biden to convene COVID-19 summit on Wednesday: White House
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Biden, who is due to address the annual UN meeting on Tuesday, has pitched the United States as the global leader on the fight to get the world vaccinated. No details about participants were provided
President Joe Biden will host a virtual summit with world leaders on the coronavirus pandemic next Wednesday. This comes a day after he addresses the United Nations General Assembly, the White House said Friday.
"This meeting is about expanding and enhancing our shared efforts to defeat Covid-19" and will seek to "align on a common vision" against the virus, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. The summit will be "on the margins of the UN General Assembly."
Biden, who is due to address the annual UN meeting on Tuesday, has pitched the United States as the global leader on the fight to get the world vaccinated. No details about participants were provided.
In her statement, Psaki said that the summit will build "from previous gatherings of world leaders and ministers in fora like the G7, G20, and Act Accelerator to rally civil society, NGOs, philanthropists, and industry along with world leaders and align on a common vision for defeating COVID-19 together."
The statement further added that it will be asking participants to commit to a higher level of ambition across four themes- Vaccinate the world by enhancing equitable access to vaccines and getting shots in arms, save lives now by solving the oxygen crisis, and making tests, therapeutics and PPE more available, build back better by establishing a sustainable health security financing mechanism, and global leadership for emerging threats and calling the world to account by aligning around targets, tracking progress, and supporting one another in fulfilling our commitments.
US is by far the biggest donor of vaccines around the world, with Biden likening his government's efforts to the US military entry into World War II.
Meanwhile, in New York, which is home to the United Nations, strict safety measures have been announced, including a requirement for delegates to show proof of vaccination before entering the main hall.