GA / SOUTH AFRICA

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that It is “an indictment on humanity” that more than 82 per cent of the world’s COIVD-19 vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than one per cent has gone to low-income countries. He added "unless we address this as a matter of urgency, the pandemic will last much longer and new mutations of the virus will emerge.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:08
• Production Date: 23 September 2021
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• Subject Topical: GENERAL DEBATE
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH AFRICA
• MAMS Id: 2657463
• Parent Id: 2657463
• Alternate Title: unifeed210923g

Description

STORY: UN / SOUTH AFRICA
TRT: 2:08
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 SEPTEMBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

21 SEPTEMBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

23 SEPTEMBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY

2.Various shots, General Assembly Hall
3.SOUNDBITE (English) Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa:
“South Africa reaffirms its call for fair and equitable distribution of vaccines. We urge all member states to support the proposal for a temporary waiver of certain provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to allow more countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries, to produce COVID-19 vaccines. In this interconnected world, no country is safe until every country is safe.”
4.Med shot, South African delegation
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa:
“It is an indictment on humanity that more than 82 per cent of the world’s vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than one per cent has gone to low-income countries. Unless we address this as a matter of urgency, the pandemic will last much longer and new mutations of the virus will emerge.”
6. Med shot, South African delegation
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa:
“Climate change is an existential crisis for the entire world, yet poor countries are particularly vulnerable. Although we bear the least responsibility for causing climate change, African countries are among those that carry the greatest cost. For the forthcoming COP 26 in Glasgow to respond adequately to the crisis we face, we need to see greater ambition and progress on mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation.”
8.Wide shot, General Assembly Hall

Storyline

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that It is “an indictment on humanity” that more than 82 per cent of the world’s COIVD-19 vaccine doses have been acquired by wealthy countries, while less than one per cent has gone to low-income countries. He added "unless we address this as a matter of urgency, the pandemic will last much longer and new mutations of the virus will emerge.”

In a pre-recorded video message to the General Assembly Debate today (23 Sep), the South African President reaffirmed his call for “fair and equitable distribution of vaccines.”

President Ramaphosa urged all Member States to “support the proposal for a temporary waiver of certain provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to allow more countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries, to produce COVID-19 vaccines. In this interconnected world, no country is safe until every country is safe.”

On climate change, the South African President said, “Climate change is an existential crisis for the entire world, yet poor countries are particularly vulnerable.”

He continued, “although we bear the least responsibility for causing climate change, African countries are among those that carry the greatest cost.”

For the forthcoming COP 26 in Glasgow to respond adequately to the crisis we face, President Ramaphosa said, “we need to see greater ambition and progress on mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation.”