PACE Vote to Build AntiEpidemic System after Hearing WHO+CoEMinisters Heads Ghebreyesus+Varvitsiotis

- Mainly Because of "the initial Inaction, subsequent Slow Response, overHasty Measures, and PreMature re-Openings", in several States, (against which "Eurofora" has often Warned, since January + February 2020),"which may well be paid in (Human) Lives lost", and/or "in ...Damage to our Political, Democratic, Social, Financial and Economic systems, and in the Non-Respect of several of the Rights guaranteed by the ECHR, ...UNO,...Rights of Persons with Disabilities" (etc), MEPs Criticized, shortly After the Publication of Polls showing that a Majority of European People are Upset by the way EU and/or some States Dealt with the Deadly Virus...

- "Lessons Learnt" from this Crisis, and relevant "Ideas for the Future", are, indeed, a main Direction in which CoE currently Prepares the Next Summit of his Top Political Body, its Committee of Ministers, scheduled for November 4, in Athens, as CoE's Secretary General, Marija Buric, recently underlined, while introducing, Together with Varvitsiotis, a Video-Conference with the Senior Officers of Strasbourg's Organisation earlier.

- Indeed, inter alia, there was also "a Lack of Equipment to Protect Human Health in Europe, so that we had to Buy it from China and elsewhere", Reminded, inter alia, Today, in Reply to MEPs' Questions at the PACE, the representative of the current, Greek Presidency of the CoE, Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiades Vavitsiotis, former Long-Time MEP and vice-President of the Biggest Political Group at the PACE, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP.

- Varvitsiotis also announced that, in the Context of Europe's Will to Promote a New Vision, Both Efficient and Respectful of Human Rights/Democracy, the Greek Presidency (May-November 2020) had just Launched a Series of Video-"Discussions with Philosophers, Academics, a.o." on relevant topical issues. Among Others, f.ex. "we canNot Accept to have only some who can Afford Access to Health Care, while Others are Excluded", he stressed, (in an indirect but topical reference also to CoE's Social Charter, etc).

 - Indeed, "Public Health control Measures ... Must be Based on relevant Standards and on Public Trust, to be Effective", as well as, to be "Applied Fairly", warns PACE's Resolution, drafted by German EuroLeft MEP Andrej Hunko.

+ Concerning the "Timing" of Action against the Virus, it's true that it attracts most Criticisms, Acknowlegded WHO's Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, later-on.  But WHO Declared a "Public Health Emergency, of International Concern", on 30 January 2020, and "on Mid-February we said that this Virus was the "Public Ennemy Number 1", (something that some found then "Exagerated"), before declaring a "Pandemic on 11 March", (and Naming Europe as its current "EpiCenter" some Days Afterwards). Earlier, we had, once, "Only 98 Cases Out of China", and these affected mainly "Countries Neighbouring China", he complained.

"Eurofora" Remembers, however, Already a Critical Publication at our "Forum" on January 26 to 27 (http://www.eurofora.net/forum/index.php/topic,936.0.html), Followed by a clear Alert for Europe on "News" of February 22 to 23 (http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/deadlyvirusheadstoeucore.html), a Deception for the Lack of EU and/or Other Measures on February 24 (http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/virusriskbutnoeuprotection.html), and a Criticism for, apparently, "Too Late" EU+ Measures, on March 17 (http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/delaytoprotecteupeoplefromvirus.html), etc.

- At any case, already a First "OverSight" by Independent Experts on the WHO was Published on April 2020, and an Important "Independent Evaluation" is due to "Start ASAP", observed the Head of the International Organisation.

=> By the way, this Fothcoming "Evaluation" would Also offer an Occasion for any eventual Criticism of WHO's recent Action, (including, f.ex., by President Trump's USA), to be Presented, Examined, and may be, more or less, Taken into Account for due Changes, added Dr. Ghebreyesus.

- Indeed, Even if Trump has notoriously Announced his Intention to Withdraw from the WHO, Nevertheless, he hasN't yet send any Official Letter for that purpose, so that the USA for the Time being, Continue to be Still Considered as a Member of the Organisation, and, f.ex. we Cooperate with North American Experts, etc., he observed.

- In fact, the current "Division of the World", between USA and China, is Dangerous", Because, in order to Win the Fight Against the Virus, the World Needs to be United, versus such an Ennemy of the Humanity", WHO's Chief stressed.

-  As for "Europe", Nowadays, "the Risk Number 1 is Complacency !", Dr. Ghebreyesus Warned Against Hasty DeConfinements...

+ He Left to WHO's Top Experts on "Emergencies" and on "COVID-19" the Task to Develop Further Advise for Europeans :

The First focused on "EU's Problem that Measures are a matter of National Sovereignity", as he said, and gave a central Importance to People's "Trust".  

The Second stressed that "Lock-Down canNot be a Long-Time Solution", (mainly for Economic-Social reasons), and she Urged for "Extreme BALANCE" in Carefully planed DeConfinement Steps.

>>> Last, but not least, PACE's new President, Belgian Liberal Senator Rik Daems, eyed mainly towards how to Develop "Cooperation" with the WHO, in the foreseable Future, and this was Welcomed also by WHO's Chief, in a Global Framework.

- If necessary, We could even "Use Bikes" between Strasbourg and Geneva, which is Not so Far away, Jokingly but Practically observed Daems in fine...

In Addition to being Timely and Healthy, Bikes, indeed, are quite Easy to use Accross Rhine and Rhone Rivers' Bicycle PathWays, added to Rail, as "Eurofora" has Often Witnessed.

+ Meanwhile, as more Serious Practical Steps in order to "Build" Efficiently the Above-Mentioned "Regional System", "Capable of Supporting ...Pandemic Preparednss and ReAction" (Comp. Supra), MEPs also Voted to "Urgently" ask  CoE's Committee of Ministers (currently Chaired by Varvitsiotis) to "establish a Pan-European) Inter-Governemental steering Committee on Public Health", as well as to adequately "Associate" CoE's "European Directorate for the Quality of Medicine and HealthCare (EDQM)", Based in Strasbourg.

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("Draft-News")

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