Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Concerning the adoption of the UNSC resolution on COVID-19 vaccination in situations of armed conflict

The Russian delegation welcomes the unity of the UN Security Council

in the face of the global challenge associated with COVID-19. The adoption of a resolution on the important topic of vaccination of population in situations of armed conflict sends a significant message to the entire international community.

We also welcome that the presented document confirms the Council's call for a general and immediate cessation of hostilities and a humanitarian pause, which do not apply to military operations against terrorist groups recognized as such
by the UN Security Council.

We especially appreciate the reference to efforts and measures proposed by the Secretary-General concerning the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We also recall the “omnibus” UNGA resolution on the COVID-19 response (A/RES/74/306), which features a number of provisions directly related to the new document.

We also confirm our support to the key leadership role of the World Health Organization in coordinating the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SC resolution refers to the important multilateral mechanism “COVAX”, aimed at facilitating the provision of vaccines to those in need, as well as other relevant initiatives. We urge the UN to consider all available options to ensure universal access to COVID-19 vaccines and response to the pandemic.