In the coming days civil society organizations (CSOs) can play an important role at the national level in promoting the 31st Special Session of the General Assembly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, about which very little is generally known.
On 3 December, Heads of State or Government of Member States will address the Assembly via pre-recorded videos, focussing on their country’s experiences in fighting the pandemic; and on 4 December, there will be panel discussions featuring the UN system’s health and humanitarian response to date, the road to a COVID-19 vaccine and the socio-economic impact and recovering better.
During the past months, we have all witnessed the impact of COVID-19 on our lives, our families, our communities and on the most disadvantaged in society. As CSOs, therefore, we should take the opportunity to contact our Governments, asking that their statements reflect our concerns.
Such emails or letters need not be long, possibly acknowledging the time constraints in making interventions (five minutes). The Office of the President or Prime Minister, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will probably be the focal point to which they can be sent. In addition, they can be copied to the Permanent Representative (Ambassador) at the UN Mission in New York. (Contact information can be found in the UN Blue Book) And, of course, the press can be contacted.
As we now know, vaccines are on their way. But, the numbers of those infected are soaring with, according to the WHO Director-General, more cases in the past four weeks than in the first six months of the pandemic. The impact on economies and the lives of all is enormous. The Special Session provides an opportunity in moving forwards in addressing not only the health crisis, but also beginning to focus on an economic and social recovery while getting the 2030 Agenda back on track. None of this can be accomplished fully, without the involvement of CSOs, particularly at the national level…