Vladimir Norov believes that the causes of the current crisis are connected with increasing risks which are acquiring a trans-border nature and have long been neglected.
BEIJING, 30 April. /TASS/. Combating global challenges like the pandemic require a collective response and overcoming political confrontation both globally and regionally, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Secretary-General Vladimir Norov told a TASS correspondent.
"The coronavirus is far from the last global ordeal we will face. I think all countries need to acknowledge this and make an effort to cooperate on the principles of mutual support, joint development, and pursuit of the common good," Mr Norov said.
In addition, he added, global challenges such as climate change, geopolitical tension, and humanitarian and migration crises all call for a collective answer and the need to increase international cooperation.
"In this connection," the SCO Secretary-General stressed, "under the current conditions, and along with the objective difficulties in combating the coronavirus in each state, the top priority is to overcome global and regional political confrontation, to give up nationalist and populist ideas and protectionism. These are likely to grow stronger with the pandemic unless they are resisted, something that has become evident in the unjustified politicisation we see. However, the dilemma facing many nations points to the lack of global management," he said.
Mr Norov believes that unlike previous crises, the causes of the current crisis, which arose from the pandemic, are not based solely on finance, the economy or politics; they are connected with increasing risks that are acquiring a trans-border nature and have been neglected for a long time as a threat to humanity.
"It is evident that multilateralism and diplomacy should play the key role in improving global management structures and raising the effectiveness of international cooperation, and thus, in increasing the role of the UN. I really hope that the permanent members of the UN Security Council will prepare for the September meeting responsibly and will be able to bring to reality the aspirations of the billions of people on the planet," the SCO Secretary-General concluded.
Source: TASS