GENEVA: A global coalition of 124 nations, including India have extended their support to Australia’s effort for an independent inquiry into the origin of the COVID-19 virus.

The motion ‘Resolution on COVID 19 Response’, which has called for a review of the coronavirus origin, aims at putting an end to the international blame-game about its origin and the response.

The draft resolution has been proposed by Australia, Albania, Belarus, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Djibouti, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guyana, Guatemala, India, Iceland, Indonesia, Jordan, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Kazakhstan, Monaco, Mexico, New Zealand, Montenegro, Norway, Paraguay, North Macedonia, Qatar, Peru, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Russian Federation, the African Group and its Member States, Saudi Arabia, the European Union and its member States, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine and Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The resolution will be presented to WHA demanding the Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to take immediate initiatives or a stepwise process of independent, impartial and comprehensive evaluation of the international response to the coronavirus pandemic, WHO actions and its timeline.

WHO’s role, in this regard, will also allow to be under scrutiny for the alleged slowness in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its appreciation for China’s response despite the country’s concealment of the deadly virus during its crucial early weeks as well as the punishment given to the whistleblowing doctors. (Agencies)