– As delivered –
Remarks by H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly
22 June 2021
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to today¡¯s launch event and to express my support and solidarity with health and care workers worldwide.
Like many of you, I remember with both heartache and joy those moments in the darkest days of 2020, when thousands of people in New York City and around the world cheered from their balconies for the frontline workers who fought for us during the pandemic. We are forever grateful for their courage, their tenacity and ¨C for far too many ¨C their sacrifice during this period.
Dear colleagues, our appreciation for health and care workers cannot begin and end with the pandemic; each and everyday millions of nurses, midwives, doctors, researchers, Emergency Medical Technicians and more, provide us with the support needed to live healthier lives. Whether in prevention or treatment, the entirety of our healthcare system is built upon the shoulders of the women and men who work, tirelessly, to provide us with relief in our times of need.
In spite of all this, as a global society we continue to undervalue quality healthcare. Whether it is the absence of universal healthcare, or the fact that there remains a global shortage of health workers, particularly nurses and midwives, it is clear that we need to revise our approach in this critical area. We not only need to invest more; we need to invest smarter.
Dear colleagues, I call on Member States to enhance and promote the safety and protection of medical and health personnel. We must protect those who protect us. Health and care workers must have the necessary equipment to ensure occupational safety. Prioritization of health and care workers for vaccination, and their protection against violence, stigma, harassment, and attacks are key. They must have access to mental health and psychosocial support resources. They are entitled to decent work environments.
Let us strive to increase and rebalance health sector jobs, ensuring that gaps are filled, that we are able to create and fill jobs where they are needed. Likewise, let us ensure that women and girls are able to access leadership positions in the health sector. While women and girls constitute 70% of the health workforce, their roles in decision making are sadly lacking.
Dear colleagues, in closing, allow me to extend my support to the ongoing campaign ¡°the International Year of Health and Care Workers¡±, which recognizes the dedication and sacrifice of the millions of health and care workers at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. In that sense, I welcome the ¡®Joint Statement in support of the International Year of Health and Care Workers¡¯, which is currently co-sponsored by 130 delegations.
I also welcome the World Health Organization¡¯s year-long campaign, under the theme ¨C ¡®Protect. Invest. Together¡¯, which should serve as the guiding principle for how we treat and appreciate our health systems and workers.
Thank you.