UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th March, 2020) Russia has submitted for the consideration of the UN General Assembly a Declaration calling for solidarity among the member states amid the challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Russian Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Friday.
"On 26 March 2020, the Russian Federation submitted to the UN General Assembly an initiative to adopt a UNGA Declaration on solidarity in countering the coronavirus," the statement said.
The text of the declaration calls on UN member states to abandon political and economic controversies, including raising of trade barriers, the imposition of export restrictions and the adoption of unilateral sanctions that hinder access to healthcare services and medicines amid the pandemic.
It also recognizes the role of the World Health Organization is combating the pandemic and implies the commitment of countries to cooperate and provide all necessary assistance to it, contain the spread of COVID-19, develop vaccines and mitigate the negative effects to the global economy, especially in the most vulnerable nations.
The draft further stresses its "profound solidarity" with the most affected countries and emphasizes the need to counter any COVID-19-related stigmatization of people and states.
