Around 105 influential leaders from across the globe have signed an appeal initiated by Yunus Centre to declare Covid-19 vaccines a global common good and distribute them for free.
Signatories to the appeal include 32 former chief of state and governments, political leaders, artistes, international NGOs and institutions, including Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, Malala Yousafzai, Bono, Richard Branson, Lech Walesa, Jody Williams, Mahathir Mohamad, Lula, George Clooney, Sharon Stone, Forest Whitaker, Leymah Gbowee, Mary Robinson, Tawakkol Karman, Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, Shabana Azmi, Anne Hidalgo, Thomas Bach, Andrea Bocelli and Dr Muhammad Yunus.
“We appeal to governments, foundations, philanthropists and social businesses to come forward to produce and/or distribute the vaccines all over the world for free. We invite all social, political, and health entities to re-affirm our collective responsibility for the protection of ALL vulnerable persons without any discrimination whatsoever,” the appeal said, according to a press release.
It also stressed that the effectiveness of such a vaccination campaign would depend on its universality.
“We are pleading to all world leaders including the secretary-general of the United Nations, director general of the World Health Organization, religious leaders, social and moral leaders, leaders of research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies and the media to join hands and ensure that in the case of a Covid-19 vaccine, we have a global consensus that it must be deployed as a global common good,” the appeal added.
Anyone wishing to join the pledge can do so at vaccinecommongood.org.
