(Xinhua) — Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations (UN) secretary-general, called on all nations to redouble their efforts in elevating cooperation and partnership in vaccinating the world. He also called for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and taking climate action at the World Peace Forum.
“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend our economies, societies and ways of life. Climate change is steadily worsening,” he said while attending the forum via video link.
He emphasized the need to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. “We must remember that no one is safe until everyone is safe,” he said, commending China for its commitment to ensuring that its COVID-19 vaccines become global public goods.
“Leaders must also elevate their actions to harness the transformational blueprint of the UN SDGs to build peace and security and ensure sustainable development,” he said.
“Our multilateral recovery from this pandemic and its secondary impacts must address climate change and inequality to steer us to a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future,” he said.
“I commend China and other nations for their commitments to reach net-zero emissions,” he added.
The two-day 9th World Peace Forum, themed “International Security Cooperation in the Post-pandemic Era: Upholding and Practicing Multilateralism,” opened Saturday at Tsinghua University in Beijing. More than 100 scholars from 12 countries, former senior officials from countries and international organizations and diplomats participated online and offline.
