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UN Security Council to debate challenge of COVID-19 vaccine access - UN News 

At the initiative of Britain, which boasts of having an effective vaccination programme, the UN Security Council on Wednesday (Feb 17) will debate the problem of global access to COVID-19 vaccines, raising issues likely to underscore sharp differences between council members.

The Security Council, with a mission of maintaining peace and security around the world, has no special health expertise, the ambassador noted, adding, "the Security Council can just have a contribution".

He added that no resolution on the matter is likely to come this week.

The Security Council's only direct involvement in the pandemic came in July 2020 when, after long and difficult negotiations to resolve sharp US-Chinese tensions, it passed a resolution encouraging cease-fires in countries in conflict in order to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Britain recently shared with a few other countries a draft resolution on vaccine management, diplomats said.

"There is a draft resolution," one said. "The negotiations have just started. It will take some time."

Vaccination "is the big challenge now", said Olof Skoog, the European Union ambassador to the council. "A long way to go before people are fully vaccinated."

Skoog, who is Swedish, noted that the EU has contributed to creating the global Covax initiative which, under UN auspices, aims to provide at least two billion doses by the end of the year, including at least 1.3 billion doses to 92 lower-income countries//CNA