Turkey's Erdogan Says COVID-19 Pandemic Showed Need To Reform UN System

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2020) The coronavirus pandemic has shown the need to reform the UN system, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a special meeting of the General Assembly to combat the pandemic, on Thursday.

"The pandemic showed us that the UN system must be reformed in the light of today's threats and needs. The UN General Assembly's capabilities must be expanded to make the organization more effective, democratic, fair and transparent," Erdogan said in a video message.

Erdogan called for UN member states' cooperation and solidarity in the fight against the pandemic, adding that the world community is confronting the biggest global challenge of the 21st century.

The president added that there were vulnerable groups that were more affected by the pandemic, saying that special attention must be paid to protecting the rights of women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

In September, during the UN High-level General Debate, Erdogan said that there was a need for reforms of multilateral international organizations, including the United Nations, due to ineffectiveness of the existing global mechanisms when dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Erdogan said that it took months for the Security Council to include the pandemic on its agenda. The Turkish leader said that many countries were left on their own, adding that the fate of humanity could not be left at the mercy of a limited number of countries.