T&T has pledged to support efforts to address the Ebola crisis in the affected countries and to prevent its spread to other regions. The United Nations Security Council declared the Ebola epidemic in West Africa as “a threat to international peace and security”, and by virtue Resolution 2177 called on countries worldwide to urgently send medical personnel and supplies to contain the outbreak.
A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the adoption of this resolution is expected to spur timely and relevant action in addressing the rapid spread of the Ebola virus disease, which has become an epidemic in several countries of West Africa. United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon also announced a plan to set up an emergency mission, the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER).
“This will be a regional operational platform; ensuring rapid delivery of international assistance against the needs identified in the affected states, and will work closely with all Governments and partners contributing to this effort.” The resolution was unanimously adopted by the 15 Member States of the UN Security Council, and co-sponsored by more than 130 Member States of the United Nations General Assembly, including Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Grenada, Guyana and St Lucia.
The passage of Resolution 2177 comes on the heels of the letter sent by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to the secretary general of Caricom dated September 18, requesting that a meeting of Member States of the Community be convened to discuss and agree on sustainable policy responses at both the national and regional levels concerning public health issues, including Chikungunya and the Ebola virus.
It represented only the third time in the history of the Security Council that a resolution was adopted to address an international public health issue, which has the potential to undermine international peace and security. “This emphasises the fact that without concerted action at the global level, the epidemic could become pandemic.”