UN General Assembly
2018

Within the framework of the General Assembly, two fundamental health issues will be addressed at the highest level — tuberculosis and non-transmissible diseases. It is my hope and Ecuador’s commitment, above all, that those discussions will lead to agreements for and commitments to concrete action. It is scandalous, unjust and immoral that access to life-saving medicines is often limited because intellectual property and the profits of the big pharmaceutical companies are favoured over a universal right to health. It is that kind of discussion that enables the United Nations to have meaning in the daily lives of the world’s citizens. The more we strive to enable our United Nations to touch people’s lives, the more we will strengthen the Organization for the future.