A Vaccine for All

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) convened a special high-level meeting on “A Vaccine for All” on 16 April 2021. As the world struggles with a pandemic of historical proportion, immense progress has been made with the launch of the first vaccines against COVID-19. The race to develop and deploy safe and effective vaccines everywhere is a top priority for the international community, especially with new contagious COVID-19 strains. But inequality in access to the vaccine is threatening to deepen further the divide between the poor and the rich countries.

The Economic and Social Council explored ways to ensure equal access to the vaccine, as a global public good. It discussed ways to bridge the financing gap and to maximize the vaccine supply, affordability, and distribution throughout the world. The Council also explored how to strengthen countries' capacities, infrastructure and readiness for vaccine distribution and preparedness against other shocks.

The ECOSOC President issued a Presidential Statement to capture the highlights of the meeting.

Statements

Resources