General Assembly Adopts Political Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance, Demanding Immediate Action for Safeguarding Ability to Treat Disease, Enhance Food Security
Delegates Also Voice Hopes, Concerns over Pact for Future
The General Assembly today adopted the Political Declaration of last month’s high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance, recognizing it is one of the most urgent global health threats, and demanding immediate action to safeguard the ability to treat diseases, enhance food security and advance the Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Assembly also held a joint debate during which delegates expressed their views, hopes, disappointments and reservations on the Pact for the Future and its two annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations, which were adopted at the Summit of the Future on 22 September. (See Press Release GA/12627.)
On the Declaration of the high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance, Heads of State and Government met at the United Nations on 26 September to review progress on efforts to tackle the phenomenon and identify gaps with the hopes of scaling up efforts to build a healthier world based on equity and “leaving no one behind”.
By the terms of the text the Assembly adopted by consensus today (document A/79/L.5), it reaffirmed that the 2030 Agenda offers a framework to ensure healthy lives, and recalled commitments made to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis and other communicable diseases and epidemics that disproportionately affect developing countries.
The Assembly recognized the financial hardships faced by people affected by antimicrobial resistance, and affirmed that these people require diagnosis, treatment and management of side effects. Member States also committed to scale up action to reduce the global deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance by 10 per cent by 2030 from the 2019 baseline of 4.95 million deaths.
In addition, Member States reaffirmed the importance of national ownership and the responsibility of governments to determine their own path towards achieving universal health coverage, including through addressing antimicrobial resistance. The Assembly also underscored the importance of political leadership in and beyond the health sector to pursue whole-of-society and community-based approaches.
The Assembly ensured that, by 2030, all countries develop or update and are in the process of implementing multisectoral national action plans on antimicrobial resistance with national targets informed by existing capacities and priorities. The Assembly committed to sustainable financing and budgeted activities and reaffirmed the right of every human being to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health.
By other terms of the adopted Declaration, the Assembly ensured that, by 2030, animal vaccination strategies are defined with an implementation plan, including by considering the World Organization for Animal Health list of priority diseases for which vaccines could reduce antimicrobial use. The Assembly encouraged all countries to report quality surveillance data on antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use by 2030 and improve access to diagnosis and care, so at least 80 per cent of countries can test resistance in all bacterial and fungal pathogens.
Prior to the Declaration’s adoption, Venezuela’s delegate, speaking for the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter, said unilateral coercive measures deliberately exacerbate global challenges. How does such a document omit a reference to such measures, he asked. Developed countries have “learned nothing” from the tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, recalling how, during the peak of the pandemic, many poor countries could not access life-saving vaccines.
Nicaragua’s delegate said Western countries, which continue to violate the rights of millions of people who remain victims of such unilateral coercive measures, had obstructed the inclusion of language on such measures. Therefore, the Political Declaration remains incomplete.
Also before the Assembly for today’s discussion were the Secretary-General’s reports on education for democracy (document A/79/344), Tackling illicit trafficking in wildlife (document A/79/244) and the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (2016–2025) (document A/79/255).
Speakers Voice Concerns over Pact for the Future
Speaking on the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations, Member States underscored their concerns and disappointments while others spotlighted the Pact as presenting an opportunity to take action to help developing countries, and move forward on sustainable development, artificial intelligence and women’s rights.
China’s representative said that the momentum of the Summit of the Future must be maintained. Member States should forge consensus and synergy in enhancing the United Nations’ role in multilateralism, while the voice and decision-making capabilities of the Global South should be broadened. He further called for Security Council reforms, adding that the “international community expects more and better” from the 15-member organ.
Also on the topic of reform, a representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, said restructuring of the international financial architecture is critically needed to make the system work for everyone. “Short-term vision or backtracking is not an option,” she stressed, adding that the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and “leaving no one behind” must remain at the forefront of Member States’ priorities.
The representative of the United States also emphasized the need to prioritize financing for the world’s poorest and least developed countries, as well as some middle-income States so that they can be armed with the resources needed to move towards sustainable development and the targets outlined in the Pact for the Future. However, his delegation did not support special drawing rights allocation given the current state of the global financial environment. And calls for new debt mechanisms risk undermining ongoing efforts to improve the current debt structure, he cautioned.
Namibia’s representative underscored the need to work towards a continued “meeting of minds” in addressing pressing global challenges. Observing that “the world stands at a crossroads” with a myriad of challenges on one hand and hope for progress on the other, he called for a strengthening of the UN system — the Security Council and the General Assembly — with enhanced accountability and efficiency in resource allocation along with greater contribution from Member States. A stronger United Nations must promote human rights and the rule of law, he said, which are “indispensable to achieve peace and sustainable development”.
Cuba’s speaker said his country looks forward to the open-ended group of experts addressing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stimulus towards achieving them by 2030 and endorses the proposal to strengthen the UN’s capacity to address the digital divide. He further called for action on the global rise in military spending.
Some countries expressed deep disappointment that their concerns were not considered in the negotiation process. Pakistan’s delegate, speaking for the Like-Minded Group, regretted that the Pact did not mention sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs and the right to self-determination of people, as well as colonization and foreign occupation as reflected in previously agreed UN initiatives and documents. He also regretted that paragraph 18 diminishes the understanding on the additional nature of climate finance as specified in the Paris Agreement on climate change and called for a comprehensive and inclusive multilateral solution to address developing countries’ debt crisis.
Iran’s speaker said her country’s legitimate inputs were ignored throughout the process of the Summit of the Future. Regretting the Pact’s failure to address the root causes of the violation of international law and the UN Charter, she said that, “though genocide was occurring right before our eyes”, the document fails to address immediate and basic threats to Gaza and Lebanon. It also looks away from unilateral coercive measures, economic sanctions and other restrictive measures against State sovereignty. Her country is not committed to portions of the Pact that are not consonant with its national priorities, laws and norms.
Echoing a similar sentiment, the representative of the Russian Federation expressed disappointment over the lack of interest shown in dialogue and discussions on the Pact for the Future. Consensus was not achieved before it was submitted for adoption. “For the Pact for the Future not to go down in history as yet another dud, we are prepared to work with all Member States […] where there was consensus reached,” he said, adding: “Decisions are being taken right now on whether your interests are going to be taken into consideration.” All global agreements should respect the basic international principles of sovereignty and non-interference in States’ internal affairs.
Israel’s delegate, recalling that today marks one year since the Hamas attacks on his country “with the aim of genocide,” said 101 hostages remain in Hamas’ tunnels. He therefore called on the international community to urgently and unequivocally demand the immediate and unconditional release of these persons. He also lamented that narrow political agendas only undermine the Summit’s important objective of providing a comprehensive road map “that will guide us for years to come”. Israel would have liked to see stronger language on human rights, climate and gender equality, with the right to development not highlighted above other human rights. He rejected allegations against his country in defending its citizens from Hamas which is “orchestrated, funded and trained by the Ayatollah regime in Tehran”.
Taking the floor a second time to respond to Israel’s statement, the representative of Iran, said it is regrettable that Tel Aviv made baseless claims against his country, categorically rejecting these allegations. Israel is a major source of instability in the Middle East. And Iran will continue to strongly warn against any act of aggressions by Israel that would affect Iran’s security and interests.
The representative of Israel countered that the Iranian regime offers nothing positive for the world and nothing positive for its own people. Its entire goal is to destabilize the region in a desperate grasp for power. Israel will use the stage to face the brave and brotherly people of Iran who deserve freedom from Tehran’s regime.