OVER the past two weeks, I paid keen attention to the United Nations General Assembly and the engagements associated with it. No doubt, much of what was said was awe-inspiring and thought-provoking, but I am hopeful that these engagements would yield meaningful action in the months ahead.

There, leaders of developing nations lamented the gamut of challenges they face: historical exploitation that contributed to their present-day underdevelopment, their geographic size (smallness), and their vulnerability to exogenous shocks (such as the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters).

As expected, they do not only use their platform at the UN-when the world is paying attention-to lament the disproportionate impact of these challenges, but also to call for action to tackle entrenched or enduring challenges.

And, I hope that with the world listening, some meaningful action can be taken by our world leaders- especially those in the larger developed countries that have profited from exploitation of the smaller countries (recall enslavement for example) and that continue to contribute to the world’s detriment (considering their substantial use of fossil fuels contributing to climate change, for example).

There are some key issues on which I think our world leaders should be focusing. The first is the equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and the recognition and acceptance of all vaccines that have gone through the necessary clinical trials (yes, including the Russian-made Sputnik V). The unequal distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, I believe, is well-known. The countries with the larger economies have reportedly stockpiled vaccines, some enough to vaccinate their entire populations at least twice. In contrast, numerous developing nations are struggling to roll out a substantial vaccination campaign and protect their populations. Not only is this disappointing, but it is a moral failure, honestly. It is simply not right for people to be denied life-saving vaccines while others have it as a surplus.

Tangentially, on vaccination, if vaccines are indeed equitably distributed and international travel, I think we should be wary of stymying vaccination uptake by placing restrictions on the types of vaccines recognised. I agree that countries should institute vaccination requirements for travellers to protect their populations, but I do not agree with the recognition of some types of vaccines and not others. Guyana’s vaccination rollout, for example, heavily encompasses the Sputnik V vaccine. And, clinical trials show that this vaccine is highly efficacious. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom (UK) are asking that travellers be fully vaccinated, but those travellers fully vaccinated with the Sputnik V would not be recognised. Now, if I am someone who is not yet vaccinated or only partially vaccinated, why would I want to get one of the very abundant Sputnik vaccines? Such measures, I believe, contribute to vaccine hesitancy.

The second issue is climate change. Because of the sheer existential threat climate change poses to all countries and people of the world, it really should be a given that efforts towards mitigating climate change are at the forefront of all of our minds. And, it was more than expected that climate change would take centre stage at the General Assembly. Scientists have shown that nations must work towards keeping global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius, ideally at about 1.5 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, rising temperatures would contribute to global warming, which leads to other implications such as natural disasters, forced migration, and health issues. It is widely accepted that such issues have a disproportionate impact on developing countries such as small island states and those with low-lying coasts (like Guyana). Yet, many countries, especially the larger economies of the world, have been unable to lower their carbon emissions and continue to contribute to a worsening climate, making our planet more and more uninhabitable.

Finally, I believe that descendants of formerly enslaved people and the indigenous people should benefit from reparatory justice to help them surmount historical wrongs, including forced migration, exploitation of human beings and genocide. Caribbean countries are debt-ridden and that is because of the economic structures they inherited (during colonisation which followed emancipation). Importantly, too, enslavement was a long period of treating Africans as though they were less than humans and not deserving human beings and as such, we see systems of white supremacy and black prejudice plaguing our societies until today. And, I submit that reparatory justice, which relates to the action of making amends for a wrong done by providing payment or other assistance to those who have been wronged, can help us develop sustainably.

I am not a naive optimist, nor am I a far-gone cynic, but the outcomes of this General Assembly and string of diplomatic engagements will have a significant impact on my world outlook and faith in our global systems. I hope-for myself, my loved ones, countryfolk, and for people everywhere-that this year’s UN General Assembly leads to meaningful global action.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous works, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com