Manend Team 
NEW YORK, (MANEND NEWS): Pakistan has called for collective efforts to deal with various challenges
including that of COVID-19.
Addressing the tenth Economic and Social Council Youth Forum, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to
the United Nations Munir Akram stressed that vaccines must be made available to everyone and
everywhere.
He said that 10 years ago, the Youth Forum first met at the UN Headquarters during the final stages of
the review of the millennium development goals. Youth were clamoring for a seat at the table to be
heard and to help shape the post 2015 development agenda. Enlivened and enriched our deliberations
and contribute to the work of ECOSOC and the United Nations. Today, we are at an important inflection
point in world history. We face multiple challenges – the Covid pandemic, a deep global recession, rising
poverty, an impending climate catastrophe, rising inequality and extremism, a new arms race,
proliferating and unresolved disputes, and the danger of revived great power rivalry and tensions. The
world community must respond to these challenges with wisdom and determination.
“First, we must defeat the Covid-19 virus. Vaccines must be made available to everyone, everywhere.
We must oppose vaccine nationalism. And, we must understand that No one will be safe until everyone
is safe” Munir Akram said.
“Second, we must mobilize national and international efforts especially finance, to recover from the
recession which has been induced by the pandemic and to revive the prospects of achieving the SDGs by
2030” He said.
“Third, we must do everything possible to avoid the impending climate catastrophe – to achieve net
zero emissions by 2050 and transition to a green global economy. The commitments made at the Paris
Conference to mobilize $100 billion in climate finance annually must be fulfilled” Munir Akram said.
“Fourth, we must attack and redress the endemic inequalities in our national and international
structures – economic, social, racial, gender inequalities. We must defeat the rising forces of racism,
extremism and fascism. These, and other challenges, must be addressed comprehensively and
coherently. We can do so only through international cooperation, especially by fully utilizing and
strengthening the United Nations – the world’s only universal organization – and by reinforcing respect
for its fundamental principles” he said.
Munir Akram said that the future belongs to you, the youth. We need your energy, your ideals, your
boldness, your imagination, your innovation, to build the structure of a peaceful, prosperous and equal
world order. “I look forward to your valuable contributions which will enrich and enliven our
deliberations at this Forum and the forthcoming events that we will have, the Financing for
Development Forum in April, the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum in May and the High Level
Political Forum in July. Thank you for your attention” Munir Akram concluded.
