More than a year after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan in China’s Hubei province, the world is still reeling from the purge of the pandemic. Experts say that the world will have to wait for at least two more years to see the return of normalcy to everyday life and that too if only the vaccination drive against the pandemic advances in every corner of globe in a fast pace.
As the whole world was suffering from COVID-19 in one way or the other, some people were inflicted more pain just because of their race, ethnicity or religion. Discrimination in giving proper treatment, food and other relief materials, and of late, in vaccine distribution have been reported from many regions and countries. Hence, the clamour for equality in fighting the pandemic is getting louder. Recently, the World Health Organisation exhorted the rich countries to ensure vaccine availability in poor countries. Yesterday, Qatar added its voice to this call affirming the necessity of spreading values of equality, cooperation and transparency in the efforts to address the pandemic.
Qatar reiterated its position in a statement by its Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador H E Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, during the annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming at the Human Rights Council in Geneva focusing on the fight against racism and discrimination 20 years after the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Plan of Action (DDPA), and the exacerbating effects of the pandemic on these efforts.
As always, Qatar has been leading by example even during the pandemic by providing relief materials and financial aid to more than 70 countries, helping stranded people return home, transporting health professionals and medical supplies to different corners of the world etc. The country allocated $20m to support the Global Alliance of Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) and the COVAX mechanism to help the most needy people. Ensuring equality and protection of human rights is all the more important in these days of the pandemic, as the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration after the meeting in South Africa from August 31 to September 8, 2001, is fast approaching.
Despite the adoption of the DDPA, intolerance, racism and discrimination are still rampant and with the pandemic these have been reinforced by hate speech, incitement, hostile attitude against certain groups in society, based on nationality, ethnic origin and even religion, Qatar said. So it is high time the world heeded Qatar’s voice and redoubled its efforts in fighting the pandemic without discrimination, because a virus anywhere is a virus everywhere.
