Vice Minister Marina Sereni participated today, by videoconference, in the ministerial meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism, organized by the Foreign Ministers of France, Jean Yves Le Drian and Germany, Heiko Maas, to discuss the need for a coordinated response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to strengthen the work of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Recalling that multilateralism is a pillar of Italian foreign policy, the Deputy Minister confirmed our commitment to contribute to the consolidation of global health governance, in which the World Health Organization (WHO) plays a crucial leading role.
“Italy will continue to play its part in the global response to COVID-19,” said Sereni, stressing that our country has already contributed to the WHO Response Plan and announced that new contributions to vaccine research and distribution are being considered, which will require an inclusive global effort. Two Italian proposals to which Sereni referred during the meeting: an “international alliance for vaccine”, a platform to coordinate all efforts in research, production and distribution of the drug proposed to UN Secretary-General Guterres by Minister Di Maio, which must be combined with the formation, within the FAO strategy, of “a Coalition for Food, to avoid the danger that the effects of the pandemic are added to those of a food crisis.
The Vice Minister then recalled the need to ensure that the extraordinary measures adopted by States to deal with this unprecedented crisis respect the principles of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, remaining limited to what is strictly necessary, proportionate, temporary and subject to continuous scrutiny.
“We must overcome this crisis together and safeguard our principles and values”, concluded the Vice Minister.