KANDIA KAMISSOKO CAMARA, Minister for Foreign Affairs, African Integration and the Diaspora of Côte d’Ivoire, called for the strengthening of cooperation, pooling resources and ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.  This requires adequate funding for current initiatives, the suspension of patents and the development of production capacities, particularly on the African continent.  She welcomed the United Nations Strategic Preparedness and Intervention Plan, COVAX Facility and other mechanisms, stressing that they can only function in the environment of peace and security.  Côte d’Ivoire rolled out a vaccination campaign with the support of bilateral and multilateral partners to immunize 60 per cent of the population by the end of the year.  Taking into account the unprecedented economic, social, and humanitarian impacts of the pandemic ‑ potential sources of instability ‑ consolidation of peace and the strengthening of social cohesion remained at the heart of her Government’s priorities.

Highlighting that her country seeks to become an emerging power, she detailed her Government’s work with all parties to strengthen the current efforts towards national reconciliation ‑ a process that contributes to the consolidation of the rule of law in Côte d’Ivoire.  She further emphasized that a strong health sector, which ensured both universal health coverage and better preparedness to face future threats, remains a priority of her Government.  As education was hit the hardest, she also spotlighted national efforts to improve equity, inclusion and digital connectivity.

The well-being of her country’s people was at the heart of the Government’s efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda, she continued.  Therefore, a national strategy was being established to develop a social protection system benefiting the most vulnerable populations, in particular through a direct cash transfer program.  Turning to the threat posed by climate change, she urged that environmentally conscious management production and consumption models be adopted.  States should propose concrete and urgent actions at the COP26, she said, outlining Côte d’Ivoire’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 28 per cent by 2030.  Turning to the global growth crisis, she again called for increasing official development assistance, debt cancellation and the promotion of innovative financing.  Since the start of the pandemic, there has been an uptick in terrorist attacks, including five in Côte d’Ivoire, she pointed out, calling for greater regional and international cooperation to address cross-border threats to peace and security.  She also affirmed support for redressing the historic injustice done to Africa, as well as reform of the Security Council.