The former PM described it as "exceptionally challenging" and a "very tough gig". She is likely to start as soon as possible "before another pandemic is upon us".
Helen Clark, a former PM of New Zealand has been nominated to investigate if the WTO failed to correctly advice of the Covid pandemic. The reputation of this woman is meant to be stability and thoroughness.
Helen Clark inquiry about WTO adequacy of Covid warnings
Helen Clark became known widespread as a “fighter” and she has defined the WHO investigation as “exceptionally challenging” and a “very tough gig“. Due to the fact that the review would be conducted in the midst of a pandemic. Clark said she had to start rapidly and surely “before another pandemic is upon us“.
She declared: “As you well know [the pandemic] has gone beyond being a mere health crisis to being a full-blown health, economic and social crisis. And it will leave my country, like most others, with deficits which six months ago would have been thought of as inconceivable. So we have to do better”.
Clark sat down with WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva in mid-February. Former PM perceived herself as “helpless” to stop the pandemic. Then revealed: “Dr Tedros said to me that there is a very narrow window to avoid a pandemic but ‘it’s closing fast’. And he said ‘I don’t know what else I can do, I am screaming every day but no one is listening’. That really chills me … this is the health nuclear accident”. For making this work, she will be co-chairing the investigation with former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He has fought Ebola health crisis in his country.
A very high level profile
Helen Clark left New Zealand politics in 2009 to lead the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Since then, she has lead a succession of high-profile roles at global organizations. She proved herself to be a ruthless administrator, during the years at UNDP. In fact she cut budgets in her area. In 2016, Clark threw her hat in the ring to become UN secretary general.
