ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for universal and affordable access to anti-Covid-19 vaccine to defeat the pandemic and revive global trade, investment and growth..

Virtually addressing the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on Tuesday, he said the world must ramp up vaccine production, including in the developing countries, and ensure its rapid distribution.

“The global economy will not recover fully until all countries – rich and poor – are enabled to accelerate and expand investment for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and climate goals,” the prime minister said in his virtual address at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

To enable developing countries purchase vaccines at fair prices, he emphasized on waiver of intellectual property rights even if temporary, vaccine production under license, full funding of COVAX facility, and grants and concessional lending.

The prime minister said adequate finance was important to mobilize the developing countries meet the triple challenge of COVID recovery, implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and realization of environmental goals.

Similarly, he said it is vital to fulfill the commitment made by developed countries to provide 100 billion dollars per year in climate finance.

He said Pakistan's landmark projects such as our "Recharge" initiative and 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project can benefit greatly from such support.

The Prime Minister urged the United Nations to initiate a multi stakeholder dialogue to mobilize one trillion dollars investment required annually in sustainable infrastructure.

He said the international trade regime must provide all developing countries with equitable and preferential access to global markets and the protectionist measures erected by some major economies in violation of WTO agreements must be rescinded.