It is massively wrong to criticise
the World Health Organisation (WHO) at this stage. We are still in unknown territory
and unchartered waters as far as the Covid-19 pandemic is concerned. We don’t
know what is going to happen in Africa and in other parts of the world, where
the health systems are extremely weak. WHO has a technical presence in those
countries and lots of experience in assisting them. As such, the wise thing
to do would be to strengthen its operational capacity. That means that its
authority must be recognised, and additional resources mobilised. To weaken and
destabilise the organisation, as President Trump is doing, is unacceptable. We
do not expect the current US President to provide the leadership it should, as head
of the strongest State on earth. Donald Trump does not understand the world we
live in and the role the US should be playing. But, at least, he should keep
quiet as far as WHO is concerned.
The sad thing is that we are confronted
with a devastating global calamity at a time there is no real global
leadership. The US is getting more and more confused with its internal politics.
The turmoil is amazing out there. Elsewhere, in the other regions of the world,
there is no visionary leader, nobody of gigantic stature, capable to call the
international action. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Arden, is
sometimes mentioned. She is indeed an example. But her country is too small and
too far out for her to be able to play a global role. All the other potential
leaders are too busy with their own national situation – or messing things up,
as it is the case with Narendra Modi of India.
I see a role for the UN Secretary-General.
But I also recognise that his voice must be amplified by the international
media, for that role to be effective. And that is not very easy to achieve at
the moment.
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