Press Releases

While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic remains our top priority, we should not neglect reflecting on the day after. For there will be a post-COVID world – the question is “what kind of world?”

Covid-19 has imposed unprecedented challenges which might reverse the important progress achieved on human rights, social cohesion, gender equality and women’s rights.

To this end, global challenges require global responses and global resilience, demands enhanced partnerships. The current pandemic has revealed the dire need for more global cooperation to deliver universal access to treatment and vaccines.

Ultimately, as the socio-economic challenges we face cannot be dealt with by states alone, we must also be more innovative in our thinking than ever before. We need to think about sustainable and more equitable solutions. We need to think green and in a digital context.  

At the same time, we should not forget that one of the most critical existential threats of our planet, of course, remains climate change.

In this regard, Cyprus reaffirms its steadfast commitment to the Paris Agreement, which is the cornerstone of the multilateral framework governing global action on the climate change challenge.

Before concluding, please allow me to comment that as we are witnessing nations and international organizations struggling to adjust to the needs of our rapidly changing world, multilateralism comes to mind.

Effective multilateralism, beyond narrow national interests, as well as international cooperation, is the only viable way to tackle the multiple and complex challenges of 21^st century.

The Paris Peace Forum is one such innovative contribution to our collective efforts and for this, France and President Macron should be highly commended. I too share the conviction that only our collective wisdom can see us through these uncertain times.

Cooperation and solidarity, social justice, the protection of our citizens and the primacy of public health should be our guiding principles for an inclusive and peaceful world, for the present and future generations.

(RM/MK/MPO)