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Nations focus on rebuilding, a year after coronavirus was declared a pandemic

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Global coordination remains key to building back in a more sustainable way. That is the message from the United Nations as the international community marks the one-year anniversary since the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus a pandemic, a decision that would lead to a global lockdown that shuttered economies and choking hospitals as cases soared to more than 118 million globally and a death toll of 2.6 million and climbing.

National vaccine programmes have begun to gain momentum bringing renewed hope in a sea of uncertainty.

It was a year since a sign went up outside UN Headquarters in Manhattan. Temporarily closed to the public,  has now turned into 12 months and counting as staff here, like in many places, were sent to work from home.

The United States , that has suffered the highest case numbers – at 29 million and nearly 530 000 deaths.

“It’s been a year of loss, most importantly, in terms of human lives globally. It’s been a year of loss of the progress that we as the United Nations have been working across the board on socio-economic indicators. As always in these crises, it is those who were most vulnerable and who were already suffering who lost the most. And sadly, they will be the last one to go back and to gain, unless there is a concerted effort by the international community to build back better and to invest in those areas that need it the most, whether it’s access to health care, human rights, the way that women have borne the burden of this crisis on so many levels, ” says the Secretary-General’s Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

On a more micro level, a building that’s normally a bustle of activity, particularly during General Assembly week in September, has been reduced to a shell as the world swiftly moved to a virtual setting in order to reduce human-to-human contact.

“The halls, as you said, have been empty almost for a year. I think, despite that, the United Nations has been able to continue its work to support all the things that we do in the field, to support the Member States in having their meeting, so the work has continued. And I want to salute all our colleagues in the field and headquarters who have worked in difficult conditions, like all of us and all of you have worked. And I think everyone has been touched one way or another, but the Secretary-General is committed to bringing this building back to life, but in a very measured and careful way. ”

Despite the loss and despair of countless many, science has moved with historic rapidity to bring vaccines from development into arms but as immunisation grows more widespread, there is a greater emphasis on building back better as Dujarric explains.

“I think the scientists have done their job. It is now for multilateralism, in a sense, to do its job and for finding a more coordinated response to the rollout of the vaccine and to many other things that have been impacted by the virus. “

Part of that future calculus is the central role that women must play as articulated by the Executive Director of UNWOMEN Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

“As we build back better, we cannot build back without women because that will be building back bad, building back better is gender-responsive, and it is critical. And this is the anthem that we want to sing to everybody.”

US President Joe Biden is expected to mark the one-year anniversary in a prime time address later Thursday night.

“There is light at the end of this dark tunnel of the past year. But we cannot let our guard down now, or assume the victory is inevitable. Together, we’re going to get through this pandemic and usher in a healthier and more hopeful future. So there is a real reason for hope, folks. There’s a real reason for hope.”

Hope with a healthy dose of circumspection because there are simply too many unknowns still. Vaccine supply and distribution continues to be uneven, variants have cast a shadow over that light at the end of the tunnel while this pandemic has destroyed health systems, businesses, economic growth prospects and so many lives and families. Building back better therefore will be a steep hill to climb.

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