The Secretary General of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, Rovshan Muradov took an interview from Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus on free vaccination call.

AzVision.az presents the full interview below:  

All governments have to make sure this vaccines are available to all people as soon as possible. Local production of these will be the only answer to make this happen. Setting up of social business pharmaceutical companies globally and and locally will be the most efficient way to do it. International finance organizations, foundations, donors, investors must come forward to help this initiatives translated into reality.

- How is the COVID 19 pandemic changing the world, people and economies?

This pandemic is playing a havoc for the whole world. All countries are trying their best to protect their people and the economy. But it is treated as a massive disaster with a short duration. Nobody is looking at it to continue for years or decades. Everybody is in adjustment mode, not preparing for big change anywhere. The world is in the mood to preparing for restarting life as usual. Whatever changes in life is brought are seen as part of coping with emergency.

I try to raise the question is it the right thing to do to go back to where we were before the pandemic started. The world that we are coming from was a world which was about to collapse by its own internal forces. Global warming became so acute that we already started the countdown to reach the finishing line soon. Wealth concentration created an unsustainable social structure. Massive unemployment was on the way brought by artificial intelligence. I draw the attention that the pandemic has brought us a big break from all these impending dangers. It has created a great opportunity to redesign our economy to go in a different direction. Going back to the old world will be suicidal. Our decision should be ‘no going back’. We use this opportunity to change our economy fundamentally.

- How long do you expect the pandemic and the economic crisis caused by it to last?

Present phase may be over in a year or so. Already people are back on the street, pubs, restaurants, and beaches. Economic crisis will also be something of the past. Vaccines will be available next year. This will give another reason to give the feeling that the pandemic is over. By doing that we are simply moving from a temporary problem to a good old permanent problem of existential crisis. We are only going from frying pan to fire. We have the chance not to head for the fire. We have the option now, more than ever, to start the process of creating a world where our future generations will live safely and happily without the fear of extinction.

- How COVID 19 changing multilateralism?

Multilateralism has been seriously threatened during the pandemic. With the first sign of a global invasion by a common enemy the world went back to tribalism. Global institution which was created to be the central command for this kind of invasion was brought under attack. Its funding was cut off, when it needed additional funding. It was put under investigation when it needed total support. Some countries went out of the way to take measures to protect their own people depriving others.

We have to reconfirm our commitment to multilateralism and strengthen it so that it cannot fall apart when we need it the most. We have to review the role of Security Council at times of global crisis. Entire UN system needs to be strengthened for addressing global crisis. Vaccine is a good case. UN General Assembly should move quickly to declare all vaccines now, and in future, as global common good.

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