WHO Director-General addresses UNA NZ conference

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, provided a special address to our national conference, Advancing the 2030 Agenda. In his remarks, the Director-General reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic and reminded attendees not to forget the painful lessons learned, "the most important of which is that we can only face shared threats with a shared response."

He also noted WHO member states are now negotiating a legally binding accord to ensure a more coordinated global response to future pandemics. "We seek your advocacy for the accord and for fighting misinformation about it."

The video can be viewed here.

The full transcript is published below.

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United Nations Association President Karim Dickie,

Dr Sir Ashley Bloomfield,

Dr Alan Bollard,

Dear colleagues and friends,

Kia ora

I have just returned from New York where last week a record three high-level meetings on health issues were held during the UN General Assembly. In the political declarations, countries made strong commitments on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response, universal health coverage, and tuberculous.

The COVID-19 pandemic set back progress towards this and other health related targets in the Sustainable Development Goals. We cannot forget the painful lessons of the pandemic, the most important of which is that we can only face shared threats with a shared response.

That's why WHOs’ members states are now negotiating a legally binding accord to ensure a more coordinated global response to future pandemics.

We seek your advocacy for the accord and for fighting misinformation about it.

We seek your advocacy for health as the foundation of sustainable development.

We seek your advocacy for a strong, empowered and sustainably financed WHO at the centre of the global health architecture.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Our vision now remains the same as it was then, health as a fundamental human right and the foundation of peace and security. And I would add to that, health as a fundamental human right - an end in itself and a means to development. 

I thank you.

ENDS