Chair, 

The Candidate Countries the Republic of North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia*, and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia, align themselves with this statement.

The European Union and its Member States are fully committed to vaccine equity and a just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. We welcome the important work undertaken during the past Committee season to ensure that responses are human rights-based, gender-responsive, and leave no one behind. Around 80 UN Member States joined the statement we launched with Mexico in October in support of vaccine equity, reiterating the strong commitment of the international community to tackle the challenges and persisting inequalities exacerbated by the on-going pandemic.  

Women and girls have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. More than a year ago, we launched with partners a new UN Group of Friends for the elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, which aims to coordinate efforts to address and eliminate the surge in gender-based violence during COVID-19. The Group now includes 94 members, representing all regions. We invite all committed partners, States and non-governmental organisations, to join the initiative. 

We remain particularly concerned by the impact of the ongoing pandemic on human rights and fundamental freedoms. Civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders are playing an essential role, often as first responders. Yet, they are facing increasing challenges, such as threats, attacks, funding cuts, and disproportionate restrictions. The General Assembly can and must do more to recognise and address these challenges.

Chair,

The EU is fully committed to stepping up efforts to ensure that all persons in all countries have equal access to safe, effective and affordable vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. Acting together as ‘Team Europe’, the EU and its Member States are taking decisive action to achieve the global vaccination target of 70% in 2022. In total, the EU and its Member States have mobilised over €46 billion in support of our partner countries. We call on all partners to do the same.

Our action aims to ensure a fast and equitable access to safe, quality, effective and affordable tests, treatments and vaccines against coronavirus, to strengthen partner countries' health, water and sanitation systems. Further, the EU will aim to mitigate the social and economic consequences of the crisis, at home as well as in our partner countries, while building back in an inclusive manner that favours the reduction of inequalities, while leaving no one behind.

Last year, the EU exported over a billion doses of vaccines. In addition, Team Europe promised to share 250 million doses with low and middle-income countries by the end of 2021. We exceeded this target and, in fact, shared 380 million doses, mostly through COVAX. By mid-2022, we have promised to share 700 million doses.

Local health capacities and institutions are the foundation of global health. More needs to be done to ensure that all countries have access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies. This is why, we have invested €1 billion in an initiative on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa.

We are committed to ensuring an equitable recovery and look forward to working closely with all partners and stakeholders, most notably civil society, to turn rhetoric into reality.

Thank you.

* The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.