United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Covid-19 Hon Chris Fearne, Deputy Prime

Secretary General, President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

These past months have been an eye opener for us all. I believe that this year will be remembered for the hard lessons learnt, which unfortunately have come at a very high cost. It would be a disservice to all these lives lost and to all those who put so much effort into responding to this pandemic, if we did not use this opportunity for us to grow and to build back better.

We will not be overcome by the fear of the unknown that this pandemic has brought, but rather it will serve us as a lesson in humility and for us all to learn and to discover lessons that we can use for future pandemics.

The COVID pandemic has in fact put a spotlight on the resilience of our health systems. Quoting the UN Secretary General “we are only as strong as the weakest of our health systems.” For this reason, at the onset of the pandemic, Malta sought to quickly organise its COVID pandemic public health response team and to bolster its healthcare system. This was done in parallel with efforts to reinforce the health workforce. Malta also brought in a system of thorough surveillance, broad testing across the board including screening, as well as a symptom checker app to enable citizens to be empowered in this pandemic. Malta has maintained, in fact, one of the highest testing rates globally; and today the positivity rate for COVID-19 remains at a low 4%, even though we are in a strong and heftier second wave of the Coronavirus. Months down the line, we realise that we still have a lot to learn from each other, and that this pandemic has shown that international cooperation is extremely important. It is for this reason that to succeed we need to uphold global public good above all else. The limitations in terms of public health and clinical capacity and expertise have been a problem for us all and in a small island state such as Malta they are even more pronounced. This has presented difficulties for us all to undertake COVID related research because we have concentrated so much on the doing ,and not the clinical aspect of the disease, however shared experiences across countries, across regions, are therefore important for us to learn from experiences and from scientific evidence that is being accumulated across the globe. Availability of essential items, and the timely procurement of equipment, consumables, medicines etcetera have also been a challenge, and for Malta as well. We continue to commit to mutual collaboration, solidarity and support which have been critical throughout this pandemic, and of particular significance for small Member States such as us. As pandemic fatigue begins to set in, we need to remain aware of the long road ahead. We look forward to further collaboration and a brighter future as we await the arrival of the much anticipated COVID vaccine. It is extremely important that the vaccine is seen as a global public good and is available to all peoples everywhere.

Your Excellencies,

The term “Building Back Better” has been widely used in the context of recovery. As this pandemic unfolds into an unprecedented global economic crisis, we continue to witness not only damage to people’s health, jobs and well-being, but also severe pressure on business and employment. Covid-19 has tested the way society works. It has provided challenge after challenge for governments, communities and individuals alike.

In this context, swift and strong whole of government action in addressing these challenges is essential and extremely important. Indeed, urgent and difficult decisions based on the best available evidence and taking a long-term perspective, must be taken today. The SDGs in themselves may already serve as a roadmap to guide the recovery from COVID-19, and it is worth noting that they are the closest to a global strategy that 193 governments have already agreed on.

Today, reaching out to the hardest hit, the most fragile and vulnerable populations is crucial. COVID-19 has exacerbated existing socio-economic problems. In this regard, it is vital that the international community invests heavily in building resilience, particularly to those vulnerable communities that need it most. Humanitarian actors must work closer together to strike the right balance between global and local response.

Your Excellencies,

The advent of COVID-19 on Malta’s shores highlighted the need for quick and calculated response, based on science, by all of us. As a small island state, Malta’s decision-makers are not far removed from those most effected by the decisions that we take. This is not to say that it has not been a constant challenge to maintain a balance between public health measures and to bring as little disruption to society and to economy as possible

We look forward to a ‘new normal’ where we continue to place people and families at the centre of our decisions. Although we are all hopeful that we will soon see the beginning of the end of this pandemic, its long-term consequences will be with us for a long time to come. Across countries social and economic systems need to be strategically rebuilt and public confidence restored, particularly amongst those most effected by the crisis. COVID has not spared any of us, and now is the time for solidarity and continued collaboration to emerge from this crisis stronger together – each individual’s health depends on the health of us all.

Thank you so much and good day to all of you.